Jamie Vardy, the seasoned striker for Leicester City, is reportedly planning to stay at the King Power Stadium past this summer.
Owing to his advanced age, there had been some debate over whether the 37-year-old would leave the team after 12 years of service when his contract expired.
However, it now appears a strong possibility that the former England international will make the transition back into Premier League football with the side after they confirmed the Championship title against Preston North End this week.
It comes as little surprise, as Vardy has shown no signs of slowing down and has been as important to the Foxes as ever this season.
Maresca backs Vardy to stay
Following the confirmation of the second-tier title at Deepdale on Tuesday night, Leicester boss Enzo Maresca gave a hint towards Vardy’s future.
After the game, he was quoted by The Mirror saying: “Jamie Vardy is Leicester. Jamie Vardy has always scored goals in his life and he’s going to score goals even when he’s 40, 45. It’s in his blood to score goals. We are very lucky that he’s our player.
“Now we finish [the season], we have a game Saturday, and then we sit. But my feeling is that he’s going to stay – this is my feeling, if I can decide.”
It is now being reported elsewhere that Vardy has already put pen to paper on a new one-year deal, despite interest from Saudi Arabia and the United States.
The striker has made clear his desire to stay with the Foxes for their top-flight readmission, and it looks as though his wish will be granted.
This season, Vardy has shown his value.
Vardy is the oldest player on the Foxes roster by a significant margin, but this season on the field, it has not been apparent.
As the highest goalscorer for the Foxes this season, the captain of Leicester has made 34 appearances in the Championship, tallying 18 goals and dishing out two more assists.
Vardy’s specialty is scoring goals, and he doesn’t appear to be slowing down. The ability to regularly find the back of the net and appear in the appropriate places is a unique quality, so it makes sense that Leicester would want to hold onto him in order to guide them through this promotion.
It is difficult to replicate the passion, commitment, technique and now leadership that Vardy offers, and it seems the Foxes will not need to replicate it for at least another year.
For all stakeholders, extension makes sense.
In addition to having a ton of Premier League experience that will be helpful throughout the upcoming season, Vardy has already made this transition with Leicester, where he was an integral member of the team that won promotion from the second division in 2013–14, placed 14th in the league the following year, and went on to win the historic Premier League title for the Foxes in 2015–16.
Before taking into account the increase in caliber they will encounter in their new division, that expertise is probably going to be vital for a team that is forced back into the top flight by the league’s Profit and Sustainability Rules.
Vardy’s longer recuperation period means he can’t participate in as many training sessions as the rest of the club, according to Maresca. However, the manager acknowledged that this is inconsequential given how many goals Vardy has scored this season.
Although it was widely believed that Vardy’s Championship season may be his final one at the King Power, the manner he’s been relied upon up front suggests there may be more in store for him.
Even though Vardy’s time at Leicester appears to have one more twist in store, the story makes perfect sense as it stands right now.
