Jamie Vardy will LEAVE Leicester this summer

Jamie Vardy will leave Leicester at the end of the season to bring an end to one of the most remarkable stories in English football history, leaving Foxes fans bereft.

The 38-year-old joined Leicester from non-league Fleetwood for £1million in 2012 and went on to become arguably the greatest player in the history of the club.

It came two days after Vardy took to social media to express his 'anger and sadness' at a season he called a 'total embarrassment' and a 's***show' with Leicester having been consigned to relegation with five matches still to play. 

During his time at King Power Stadium, Vardy helped City win the Premier League and the FA Cup for the first time in their history and also won the Golden Boot in 2020.

Although he turns 39 in January, Mail Sport understands Vardy does not plan to call it a day and has expressed confidence in the past that he can continue playing beyond his 40th birthday.

It came after a tumultuous period on and off the pitch for Jamie. Leicester have already been relegated from the Premier League while his wife Rebekah has been ordered to pay Coleen Rooney £1.6million in legal costs after losing the notorious Wagatha Christie High Court case with her WAG rival. 

There are rumours that a new lucrative deal in the US, Saudi Arabia or with Ryan Reynolds' Wrexham could be on the table as he leaves Leicester after 13 years. 

Confirming the news of his exit, Vardy – who also won 26 caps for England – said: 'To the fans of Leicester: gutted this day is coming, but I knew it was going to come eventually.

'It has been 13 unbelievable years at this club, with lots of success, some downs, but the majority all highs. It's finally time to call it a day, which I'm devastated about but I think the timing is right.

'I just want to sincerely thank you all for taking you in as one of your own. Leicester will always have a massive place in my heart and I'll make sure I'll be following in the years to come in what I hope will be even more success for the club. 

VARDY AT LEICESTER IN NUMBERS 

Games: 496

Goals: 198

Assists: 69

Trophies won: Premier League (2015-16), EFL Championship (2013-14, 2023-24), FA Cup (2021), Community Shield (2021-22), Premier League Golden Boot (2019-20), Player of the Year (2015-16)

'As for now, this is my goodbye, but you will see me again soon I promise. Thank you.'

Vardy's rise from the fifth tier of English football to its very pinnacle has been little short of remarkable.

One fan said today: 'The greatest player to ever kick ball. There will never be another like him. Words can never do justice to explain what this man has done for us. Jamie Vardy. God'.

Vardy, who will make his final appearance at the King Power Stadium against Ipswich on May 18 before taking his leave a week later at Bournemouth, played his part in Leicester's 'Great Escape' at the end of the 2014-15 season.

His goals - he scored in a record 11 consecutive Premier League fixtures - were a major factor in the club's 5000/1 title charge, which exposed him to Champions League football, and he also picked up an FA Cup winners' medal in 2021.

The latter was a success he dedicated to the club's former chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha, one of five people killed in a helicopter crash close to the stadium in October 2018.

Those memories will remain with him forever, but his exit will be tinged with sadness.

Vardy added: 'Nine years ago, we did the impossible, we won the Premier League. We then went on to win the FA Cup - that was for you, Vichai. We reached the Champions League quarter-finals. Before that, we pulled off the great escape.

'Those good memories will last a lifetime. My one regret - and I'm devastated about this - is that I'm not saying farewell to you on the back of a much better season. This isn't the way I wanted my career here to finish.

'Finally, this isn't retirement. I want to keep playing and doing what I enjoy most, scoring goals. Hopefully there's one or two more for Leicester between now and the end of the season and many more in the future.

'I might be 38, but I've still got the desire and ambition to achieve so much more.'

Whether his future lies in English football is another matter. There is thought to be interest from clubs in Major League Soccer and Saudi Arabia, though Vardy believes he can still score at the highest level.

If a Premier League side offered him a deal, it would likely be a heavily performance-based one.

Even during a dire season for Leicester, which will end in an immediate return to the Championship, he still led the attack for much of the campaign, scoring eight goals in 32 appearances. 

He was trusted by both Steve Cooper and Ruud van Nistelrooy and is one of the few players to emerge with some credit this term.

Vardy's contract expires this summer and he has clocked up 496 appearances for Leicester. If he appears in their final four games of the season, he would reach 500. He stands on 198 goals, which leaves another target within reach.

One of English football's most colourful characters, Vardy was released by Sheffield Wednesday aged 16 and built his career in English's football's midnight zone, first with Stocksbridge Park Steels and then Halifax Town.

Even when he rose to the top of the game, Vardy has never lost that raw edge to his game. 

He still loves winding up opposition supporters and has to handle taunts towards aimed at him and his family – often relating to the infamous 'Wagatha Christie' saga – wherever he goes. 

It feels unlikely that Vardy would wish to bow out completely on such a disappointing note. 

After Leicester's relegation was confirmed by a 1-0 home defeat against Liverpool on April 20, he posted an emotional message on his social media channels taking responsibility.

Leicester chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha said: 'Jamie is unique. He is a special player and an even more special person. 

'He holds a place in the hearts of everyone connected to Leicester City, and he certainly has my deepest respect and affection. I am endlessly grateful for everything he has given to this club.'