Wilfred Ndidi pays tribute as Jamie Vardy prepares to leave Leicester City

By Monsurah Olatunji

Nigerian international Wilfred Ndidi has paid tribute to Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy, who is set to leave the club at the end of the current season after 13 years of service.

Vardy, 37, joined Leicester in 2012 from the non-league side Fleetwood Town and played a central role in the club’s dramatic rise through English football.

He was instrumental in Leicester’s shock Premier League title win in 2016 and their FA Cup triumph in 2021.

The club confirmed this week that Vardy will depart this summer, though his next destination remains uncertain.

Reports have linked the forward to potential moves within the English Championship, Major League Soccer (MLS), and Saudi Arabia.

Ndidi, who has featured alongside Vardy in 250 matches—more than any Leicester teammate except Kasper Schmeichel—shared a heartfelt farewell on social media.

“What a guy, a guy wey sabi,” Ndidi wrote, using Nigerian Pidgin to describe Vardy as “a very skilled and knowledgeable person.”

“Goal machine, it’s a pleasure to share the same dressing room with you for years. You are an inspiration on and off the pitch. All the best for what comes next.”

Vardy leaves Leicester as one of the club’s all-time greats, having scored over 180 goals and becoming a symbol of Leicester’s underdog success story.