Why Leicester extending Jamie Vardy’s contract is the right move

According to BBC, Jamie Vardy has agreed to sign a new one-year contract with Leicester City, which keeps him at the King Power Stadium until 2023. The 33-year-old’s current deal with the Foxes was due to expire in two years. But he has now extended it by another twelve months, furthering his stay at the King Power till 2023.

Profile

Having started out at the Sheffield Wednesday academy, Vardy spent early parts of his professional career with non-league clubs Stocksbridge, Halifax Town and Fleetwood Town, before being snapped up by Leicester City in the summer of 2012.

Since then, the Englishman has risen to great heights with the Foxes, first helping them to promotion to the Premier League, before going on to play an integral role in their shock title triumph in the 2015/16 season.

The 33-year-old has continued to be among the top strikers in England despite his advancing age. Till date, he has featured 310 times for the Foxes, bagging 130 goals while setting up 52 more. (h/t Transfermarkt)

Vardy also made 26 appearances for the England national team, in which he scored seven goals. He announced his retirement from international football in August 2018, post the FIFA World Cup in Russia.

Vardy may be ageing, but remains Leicester’s best player

Apart from his first season in the Premier League (2014/15), Vardy has reached double figures for goals every campaign. In fact, he has scored more than 15 goals in each of the last three seasons.

The 2019/20 campaign though, was one of the best for the former England international, as he plundered 23 league goals in 34 matches, spearheading Leicester’s push for a top-four finish. The Foxes may have ended up fifth in the league, but Vardy won the Premier League Golden Boot award. He beat the likes of Raheem Sterling and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang in the process.

At 33, Vardy is still going very strong and remains the focal point of Leicester’s attack. Manager Brendan Rodgers has just Kelechi Iheanacho as his other option for the centre-forward slot apart from Vardy. So it goes without saying that the veteran striker is a pivotal figure in the setup.

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Given his experience and proven track record, having him at the club for an additional year would bode well for the Foxes. In addition, it would also allow them time to cherry-pick a long-term replacement for Vardy in due time without hurrying the process.

Verdict

Vardy has proven his value to this Leicester side, year after year. And even at 33, he is in top physical condition and fine form, as witnessed this past season. So handing him a new one-year extension is a good move by the Foxes.