Leicester manager Ruud van Nistelrooy has praised Jamie Vardy as “one of the greatest” as the star prepares for his 500th and final match for the club on Sunday.
Vardy, 38, is set to depart from the Foxes at the end of the season after spending 13 years with them. He will miss their last Premier League match away at Bournemouth, allowing him to receive a farewell at the King Power Stadium.
Leicester, who have been relegated, has created a special commemorative matchday program honouring Vardy, whose goals were pivotal in achieving the remarkable Premier League title win in 2016 under Claudio Ranieri.
The former England international, who announced his decision to leave Leicester last month, has scored 199 goals for the club in 499 appearances and is eager to reach 200 against Ipswich, who have also faced relegation.
Van Nistelrooy has confirmed that Vardy, the club captain and 2021 FA Cup winner with Leicester, will again lead the team onto the pitch on Sunday.
Vardy made history during the title-winning season of 2015/16, scoring in 11 consecutive Premier League games, thus breaking Van Nistelrooy’s previous record of 10 set while he was at Manchester United.
Although he expressed his sadness about leaving the Foxes last month, the forward, who has scored eight goals in 34 league outings this season, stated that the timing felt appropriate.
He described the season as a “total embarrassment” as Leicester braces for life in the Championship after just one season back in the top tier.
