Jamie Vardy to leave Leicester City at the end of the season

Posted on by Vividh Bharathi

Leicester, April 24 (IANS) Striker Jamie Vardy will leave Leicester City at the end of the 2024-25 season after 13 seasons with The Foxes, which has seen him become the club’s greatest-ever player. The 38-year-old has firmly cemented his place in Leicester City’s history over an incredible 13-year spell with the club. He netted 198 goals in 495 appearances and was instrumental in their stunning Premier League title win in 2016.

The former England striker also lifted the FA Cup, Community Shield, and two Championship titles with the Foxes. “I’ve been here so long that I truly never thought it would end, so this has not only been really difficult for me to write but also a really difficult decision to make,” Vardy said in a video published on his social media.

“Leicester City has been my second home and my extended family, and my life for 13 years. The club, the city, and the people mean so much to me and my family. It’s a place that has shaped the lives of our kids, who have been so lucky to call Leicester home for so long. But for me, the time has come to say goodbye,” the striker added.

Vardy’s final season with Leicester has been a disappointing one, as the club’s relegation has already been confirmed. Under Ruud van Nistelrooy, the team sits 19th in the table with only 18 points.

Vardy is set to play his last match for the Foxes on May 18 against Ipswich Town. Despite the downturn, he has made it clear that he’s not ready to hang up his boots just yet.

“My only regret, and I’m devastated about this, is that I’m not saying farewell to you (the fans) on the back of a much better season. This isn’t the way I wanted my career here to finish,” Vardy added.

“This isn’t retirement. I want to keep playing and doing what I enjoy most: Scoring goals. Hopefully, there are a few more for Leicester between now and the end of the season and many more in the future. I might be 38, but I still have the desire and ambition to achieve so much more.”

This season, Vardy has managed only seven goals for Leicester, a far cry from his standout 2015-16 campaign. That year, he formed a brilliant partnership with Riyad Mahrez as the team defied all odds, starting the season as outsiders, to claim a stunning Premier League title.

“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,” stated Leicester City Chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha.

“On behalf of everyone at Leicester City, I wish Jamie and his family the very best for the future, and I know our supporters will join us in giving him the send-off he deserves at the end of this season.”

–IANS

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Manchester, April 1 (IANS) Manchester City is expecting its star forward Erling Haaland to be fit in time for the FIFA Club World Cup after the Norwegian was subbed off during the second-half of the FA Cup quarterfinal against Bournemouth on Sunday.

Haaland has suffered an injury on his left ankle and is undergoing further tests to determine the extent of the injury with the club confirming he will be available for the final part of the season, including the FIFA Club World Cup 2025.

“Manchester City FC can confirm that Erling Haaland has suffered an injury to his left ankle. The Norwegian striker sustained the injury during Sunday’s FA Cup quarter-final victory away at AFC Bournemouth.

“Erling underwent initial tests in Manchester on Monday morning and will now seek specialist consultation to confirm the full extent of the injury. Assessment remains ongoing to ascertain a full prognosis. The expectation is that Erling will be fit in time to play a further part in the remainder of this season, including this summer’s FIFA Club World Cup,” read the statement by the club.

Haaland’s injury comes as a major blow as Manchester City gear up for the end run-in of the 2025 season. The defending Premier League champions are currently in fifth place in the league table and are one point behind Chelsea in their bid to qualify for the UEFA Champions League, having already been eliminated from the European competition by Real Madrid this year.

Haaland has scored 21 league goals in 28 games this season and is the second-highest goalscorer in the league, only behind Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah.

The new format of the FIFA Club World Cup will grace the world stage in June and July 2025, when 32 of the globe’s leading teams gather in the USA for the inaugural edition. This global event will bring together the most successful club sides from each of the six international confederations: AFC, CAF, Concacaf, CONMEBOL, OFC and UEFA.

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BGT: Kaif gives preference to Jaiswal-Rahul opening pair for Boxing Day Test against Australia

New Delhi, Dec 25 (IANS) Former India cricketer Mohammad Kaif said he would give preference to Yashasvi Jaiswal and KL Rahul as the opening pair ahead of the Boxing Day Test against Australia, starting at the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) on Thursday.

Though Jaiswal has blown hot and cold in the series, barring a majestic 161 at Perth, Rahul has been India’s leading run-getter in the ongoing tour, scoring 235 runs from six innings at an impressive average of 47, including hitting two half-centuries.

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“KL Rahul is doing a great job, while Jaiswal hit a hundred too. When Jaiswal plays, then India wins the Test match. He’s a player whose type is like Sehwag. When he plays, he’ll dominate with such speed that he’ll bring the Test match to one side and win it. Through him, India gets a lot of advantage from there.”

“So I’ll keep Jaiswal there, while KL Rahul is playing by taking his time and building a proper opening partnership. For someone who’s scored tons in Australia, England, South Africa, you can’t write off that player. He’s scored previously on these bouncy pitches, so you want to give him a preference first,” said Kaif in a video posted on his ‘X’ account on Wednesday.

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“No, I believe that the Test series is going on at an equal level. Even though the form of Indian batting is not great, a lot of the players are out of form, but on the same boat, there’s also an Australian team. If you get out Travis Head, you’ll win the Test match, because we have got Bumrah. If Travis Head is out, then even with out-of-form batting, the Indian team can win this series.”

“The way their batters have got out caught behind, and their openers are nicking behind, so there’s a big problem with their batting. Barring Travis Head, you can see Labuschagne has been dismissed twice outside the off-stump by Nitish Reddy. So, in batting, the Australian team is far behind. In bowling, Boland will definitely take 2-3 wickets and trouble the Indian bowlers. I’m telling you right now,” he concluded.

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Champions Trophy: Smith replaces Henry as NZ opt to bat against unchanged India

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Henry is the leading wicket-taker of the ongoing tournament with 10 scalps, including taking 5-42 against India in the Group A game in Dubai. But he injured his right shoulder while taking Heinrich Klaasen’s catch in New Zealand’s 50-run semi-final win over South Africa in Lahore.

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India are chasing their third Champions Trophy title, while New Zealand are looking for their second silverware after last winning it in 2000. So far, India have been unbeaten in the ongoing competition, while New Zealand’s only loss in the tournament came to India in Dubai on March 2.

India skipper Rohit Sharma, who lost the toss for the fifth straight time in the tournament and overall 15th consecutive time in ODI cricket, said his playing eleven is unchanged from their semi-final win over Australia and that he didn’t mind batting second in the title clash. “It is a good pitch, hasn’t change a lot. We have to bowl first and we just need to focus how to restrict them.”

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India: Rohit Sharma (captain), Shubman Gill, Virat Kohli, Shreyas Iyer, Axar Patel, KL Rahul (wk), Hardik Pandya, Ravindra Jadeja, Kuldeep Yadav, Mohammed Shami, and Varun Chakaravarthy

New Zealand: Will Young, Rachin Ravindra, Kane Williamson, Daryl Mitchell, Tom Latham (wk), Glenn Phillips, Michael Bracewell, Mitchell Santner (captain), Kyle Jamieson, Nathan Smith, and William O’Rourke

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