Jamie Vardy has officially said ‘goodbye’ to the club he loves with a performance that the fans have come to enjoy for the last 13 years.
The Foxes, who are already relegated from the Premier League, played their last home game of the 2024/25 season. It was against a fellow relegated side, Ipswich Town, and they showed the Tractor Boys why they used to be a genuine Premier League threat.
Goals by Vardy and McAteer helped Leicester City to all three points on the day, and even though the fans had another win to celebrate after so long, their focus was more on Jamie Vardy.
The date of the match coincided with the exact day that Vardy put pen to paper on his first Leicester City contract 13 years ago. He was also playing in his 500th match for the team, and when the ball rolled past Alex Palmer in the Ipswich goal, he got his 200th goal. It has been a dismal season for the Foxes, but that moment was almost as special as it would have been if they managed to escape relegation.
“I missed a couple before that but once JJ [James Justin] put me through there I was never going to miss it,” Vardy said. “Obviously getting the dogs’ abuse from the away fans up there, there was only one place I was going.”
Then on his journey with Leicester up until that point, he said: “It’s been amazing, it’s been a rollercoaster, it really has. But the good thing is there’s been way, way, way more highs [than lows] and I thank everyone. I never thought we’d be in the Champions League, we’d win the league, and we’ve all been there for a reason.”
Looking ahead: Leicester’s future without Vardy
“They’ll be fine, they’ll be fine,” said Vardy when asked about how Leicester go forward without him. “We’ve got a good squad and we’ve got all the youngsters coming through as well. I’m glad I’m not them, because football is a killer mentally and I couldn’t do it all again if I’m honest.
“But I’ve enjoyed every minute of it and I look forward to keeping an eye on the club I love.”
Four giant blue flags with Vardy’s face were hoisted from both sides of the stadium up to the roof, and flags on the pitch froze the legendary moments of his Leicester career — from raising the Premier League and FA Cup titles to jubilant celebrations of some of his most iconic goals.
In the stands, thousands of fans waved flags with the words “Thank You Vards”, while giant screens displayed a message of farewell to “The GOAT.”
Relieved to end his career at Leicester with the home crowd, Vardy chose to play out his final game at the King Power Stadium, reaching the 500-game appearance mark — rather than ending at Bournemouth next week.
It was a fitting tribute for a club legend. Vardy was substituted after 10 minutes on the clock to a standing ovation, and he was given a guard of honour by officials and his own teammates.
