Jamie Vardy leaving Leicester after 13 years and club hails its 'greatest ever player'

Jamie Vardy is leaving Leicester following its relegation from the Premier League, ending the striker's prolific 13-year stay at a team he famously helped to win the English title in 2016 at preseason odds of 5,000-1.

The 38-year-old former England international will depart at the end of the season, Leicester said on Thursday in a statement in which the club described Vardy as its “greatest ever player.”

The announcement came two days after Vardy took to social media to express his “anger and sadness” at a season he called a “total embarrassment,” with Leicester having been consigned to relegation with five matches still to play.

Vardy, who intends to continue playing, will go down as a Premier League great, having scored 143 goals — placing him No. 15 on the competition's all-time list. He once netted in a record 11 straight games in Leicester's improbable title-winning campaign that will be remembered as one of the great underdog stories in sporting history.

“Nine years ago, we did the impossible — we won the Premier League,” Vardy said in a video message on Instagram in which he also recounted winning the FA Cup in 2021 and reaching the Champions League quarterfinals in 2017. “Those memories will last a lifetime.”

Vardy joined Leicester from non-league team Fleetwood Town for 1 million pounds (now $1.33 million) in 2012. An out-and-out center forward, he was something of a throwback — preying on the shoulder of the center back and using his pace and movement to get in behind and delivering a firm finish.

Vardy was often seen chugging an energy drink before going onto the field.

Maybe that was one of the reasons why Leicester chairman Aiyawatt Srivaddhanaprabha described Vardy as a “unique” and “special” player.

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

Vardy has five games left for Leicester. His final home match will be on May 18 against Ipswich.

Leicester has just 18 points from 33 games and is in next-to-last place.

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

Vardy insisted “this isn’t retirement.”

“I want to keep playing and do what I enjoy most: Scoring goals,” he added. "Hopefully there’s one or two more for Leicester before 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 do so much more.”

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/hub/soccer

FILE - Leicester's Jamie Vardy celebrates scoring his side's ninth goal during the English Premier League soccer match between Southampton and Leicester City at St Mary's stadium in Southampton, England Friday, Oct., 25, 2019. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant, File)

FILE - Leicester's Jamie Vardy kisses the trophy as Leicester City celebrate becoming the English Premier League soccer champions at King Power stadium in Leicester, England, Saturday, May 7, 2016. (AP Photo/Matt Dunham, File)

FILE - Leicester City's Jamie Vardy celebrates after scoring his sides 1st goal of the game during the English Premier League soccer match between West Ham and Leicester City at the London stadium in London, Saturday, April 20, 2019. (AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth, File)

Leicester's Jamie Vardy hugs with Liverpool's Mohamed Salah at the end of the English Premier League soccer match between Leicester City and Liverpool at King Power stadium in Leicester, England, Sunday, April 20, 2025. (AP Photo/Rui Vieira)

BRISBANE, Australia (AP) — Top-ranked Aryna Sabalenka has captured her second consecutive Brisbane International title, and 22nd overall, with a straight sets victory over Marta Kostyuk on Sunday.

It was the third year in a row Sabalanka appeared in the final and the Belorussian player looked in comfortable surroundings as she closed out a 6-4, 6-3 victory in just 1 hour and 17 minutes at Pat Rafter Arena.

The Brisbane International is a tuneup event for this year’s Australian Open, which begins Jan. 18.

Kostyuk went hard early by attacking Sabalenka’s second serve, clawing back an early break with sublime drop shots that briefly rattled the world's top-ranked player.

However, the Belorussian’s relentless intensity and match-smarts proved decisive as she exploited the oppressive Brisbane humidity with punishing baseline rallies to clinch the opening set in 40 minutes.

As Kostyuk wilted under the physical strain, Sabalenka accelerated in the second set.

With a mix of raking groundstrokes and deceptive drop shots, she forced a mounting error count from the Ukrainian to close out the match without dropping a set all week.

After sealing the victory, Sabalenka looked down the court at Kostyuk and kissed both biceps - a likely nod to previous comments by the Ukranian that she possessed higher testosterone levels than other players.

Kostyuk has said the comments made in an interview last year had been taken out of context, but further the tensions between the pair since the Ukranian's refusal to shake Sabalenka's hand after a match at the French Open in 2023.

The exchange resulted in a frosty post-match presentation. During the trophy ceremony, Kostyuk spoke passionately about her homeland but notably declined to mention Sabalenka by name.

“I want to say a few words about Ukraine,” Kostyuk said. “I play every day with a pain in my heart. There are thousands of people who are without light and warm water right now, it’s minus 20 degrees outside right now, so it’s very, very painful to live this reality every day.

"I was incredibly moved and happy to see so many Ukrainian fans and flags here this week … Slava Ukraini.”

Sabalenka, meanwhile, congratulated Kostyuk, stating she hoped they would meet in another final soon. She also took a cheeky dig at her boyfriend Georgios Frangulis during her victory speech.

“Hopefully soon I will call you somehow else,” Sabalenka said looking at Frangulis in the player's box. “That just put extra pressure, right?”

Later Sunday, top-seeded Daniil Medvedev played Brandon Nakashima in the final of the men’s tournament at Brisbane.

The former No. 1-ranked Medvedev is seeking his 22nd career title, while it will be Nakashima’s first ATP Tour final in four years.

AP tennis: https://apnews.com/hub/tennis

Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus poses with the winners trophy after winning the women's final match against Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine 6-4, 6-3, at the Brisbane International tennis tournament in Brisbane, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Tertius Pickard)

Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus, right, hugs her support team after winning the women's final match against Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine 6-4, 6-3, at the Brisbane International tennis tournament in Brisbane, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Tertius Pickard)

Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine reacts after missing a shot during the women's final match against Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus at the Brisbane International tennis tournament in Brisbane, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Tertius Pickard)

Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus plays a shot during the women's final match against Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine at the Brisbane International tennis tournament in Brisbane, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Tertius Pickard)

Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus waves to the crowd after winning the women's final match against Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine 6-4, 6-3, at the Brisbane International tennis tournament in Brisbane, Australia, Sunday, Jan. 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Tertius Pickard)