Leicester City’s Jamie Vardy signs new contract through 2019
Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy has signed a new deal to keep him with the club through June 2019, the team announced Saturday.
Vardy, 29, leads the Premier League with 18 goals and has emerged as an elite option up front this season after scoring just five goals in 34 games in 2014–15. The English international has been with Leicester since 2012, and the new contract adds an extra year to his current deal.
“I’m absolutely delighted to be fighting to achieve something special with this Club, as part of this squad,” Vardy said in a statement. “I've never known a spirit like it - from the owners, to the manager and his staff, the players and the fans. I want to be part of it for a long time.
“Leicester City have shown nothing but total faith in me since the day I arrived here three and a half years ago and it's impossible to measure how much that belief has helped me to improve. I’ll forever be grateful for the investment the Club has made in me and I’ll spend every day working to repay it.”
Vardy has been a critical part of Leicester City’s unexpected rise to the top of the Premier League, which it currently leads with 53 points after a 3–1 win over Manchester City on Saturday.
“Jamie is a fighter,” manager Claudio Ranieri said in a statement. “He has had an unbelievable journey to get to this point in his career and continues to play every game as if it's his last. I love his spirit, which is a quality I want in my players above all else. He has shown what a fantastic player he is and, more importantly, he is part of a fantastic group. I am very happy that he will stay with us for a long time.”
Vardy made his England debut in June and has appeared in four matches internationally. He is expected to be part of the squad for the European Championships this summer.
