Leicester thrilled as Vardy extends contract
Jamie Vardy remains a key player for Leicester City, and the 35-year-old has now signed a contract extension.
Leicester City confirmed today that Jamie Vardy has signed a contract extension to keep him at the club until the end of June 2024. Still a key player for Brendan Rodgers’ side at the age of 35, Vardy’s deal was due to run out at the end of this season. However, it seems likely Vardy will play out his top-level career with the Foxes after penning a one-year extension.
Speaking to LCFC TV, the player said: “Once I heard it was something the club was looking at, there was only one thing that was going to happen, and I was going to sign it. The decision was easy. I’ve been here long enough now that I feel like part of the furniture. I think you can see with the way we’re trying to play, the way the club’s wanting to go, that it’s going to be onwards and upwards. To carry on being involved with that, I was over the moon. Now it’s all about this season and finishing as high as we can. My legs are still feeling great so I’ll carry that on helping the club as much as I can, whether that’s scoring or assisting, that’s what I’m here to do.”
Vardy goals
Vardy scored 15 Premier League goals last season, with all of those coming from open play. He averaged a goal every 120 minutes, with just Mohamed Salah managing a better ratio among players to have netted 10 times or more in the division. In Leicester’s remarkable title-winning campaign in 2015-16, he netted 24 times in the competition, a tally bettered only by Tottenham’s Harry Kane (25).
The former England international signed for Leicester from Fleetwood Town in May 2012 for a non-League record transfer fee of £1million and has since made 387 appearances in all competitons for the Foxes, scoring 164 times. As well as winning the Premier League in 2016, Vardy has also helped Leicester to the Championship title and FA Cup success in 2021.
Leicester’s season so far
Leicester have only taken a point from their opening two Premier League matches ahead of facing Southampton on Saturday, and are yet to sign a player for a transfer fee in this window, with goalkeeper Alex Smithies the only new arrival on a free deal. The Foxes’ main priority is attempting to keep hold of defender Wesley Fofana, but the centre-back will reportedly miss the Southampton game as Chelsea continue their pursuit. James Maddison has also been linked with a move away, with Newcastle United interested, though reports on Friday suggested the playmaker would join Vardy in signing a new deal.