Vardy sinks Ipswich to ensure fairytale finale

PLUMB IMAGES/LEICESTER CITY FC/GETTY IMAGES

Jamie Vardy receives a guard of honour from his teammates

Vardy caps final game for Leicester with 200th goal

Peter Lansley - King Power Stadium 

19 May 2025 - The Guardian

Leicester 2

Ipswich 0

Vardy 28, McAteer 69

The moment arrived in the 28th minute, though it had been brewing all match – all day, all week, all month. James Justin won the ball in his own half, accelerated through the centre of Ipswich’s midfield and waited for Leicester’s No 9 to make his run. Jamie Vardy, on his 500th appearance for the club, timed it to perfection, from centre to right, into the area, took one touch to steady himself and then, with a quick second that dispatched the ball into the far corner, scored his 200th goal for the club.

Typical Vardy, lifting his finger to his lips, the most vaunted former non-league striker in Premier League history peeled off to the nearest corner flag, lifted it out the ground, and celebrated his tenth goal of the season in front of the Ipswich fans who had just been mocking him and his wife. “Obviously getting the dogs’ abuse from the away fans, there was only one place I was going,” he said.

The scoreboard had his image and the number 200 all ready and waiting to flash up. If only Leicester had been able to choreograph their season the way they did this landmark occasion.

The post-match tributes included a guard of honour from his 2016 title-winning teammates, who were cheered on to the pitch, as well as the current team, for whom a minority of supporters offered a low rumbling of boos and an audible chant of “You’re not fit to wear the shirt”.

Vardy received a golden fox from Top Srivaddhanaprabha, the club chairman, as well as the club’s player of the year award which is both a testament to the 38-year-old’s enduring abilities and an indictment on the team who broke the record of nine successive home defeats without scoring on their way to relegation. Even as Vardy was interviewed on the pitch, there were moments that needed careful stage-management.

He said the past 13 years have “been amazing – it’s been a roller-coaster”, adding: “The good thing is there’s been way, way more highs. I never thought we’d be in the Champions League, we’d win the league and we’ve all been there.”

When asked what he’d like to say in his final words to the supporters, the pause was filled with “We want [Jon] Rudkin [director of football] out”. Rob Dorsett, the Sky Sports presenter, encouraged him to reply sooner rather than later. “The only thing I really can say, from the bottom of my heart, is thank you for taking me and my family in as one of your own,” Vardy said.

It was a fitting farewell. There were flags (“Thank you Vards”) for every supporter waiting in their seats. There was a commemorative programme (“Goodbye to the GOAT”). Vardy warmed up with his three children, who were among the mascots, and afterwards the youngest completed a lap of honour on her own before the father had started the team’s. Nigel Pearson, the manager who signed him from Fleetwood Town 13 years ago to the day, received the second-loudest cheer of the day when he appeared on the big screen.

Then there were the trademark runs and chances that indicated this would be his day, and a good one to hide Leicester’s deeper concerns.

After a “shitshow” of a season (to quote Vardy), Ruud van Nistelrooy has no idea if he will still be here next season. “You have to start to make the puzzle and put it together,” the manager said. “Which piece is leaving and which you need to replace – that process is something I would have liked to have started a lot earlier.”

Leif Davis had shot against a post in the sixth minute – Ipswich reminding us there was another team involved – and in the second half Kasey McAteer hit almost exactly the same point before smashing home the second goal to ensure this was a happy farewell. Ipswich will now finish the season with the lowest points tally in their history (allowing for three points per win), which was 27 in 1995.

Vardy had spurned two earlier opportunities before the home crowd prefaced his goal by chanting: “Stand up if you love Vardy” and “Sack the board”. Not even the Leicester fans are willing to accept Vardy’s fairytale is the only story in town.

With 10 minutes to go, Vardy’s number went up and the player who is being called the greatest in Leicester’s history was withdrawn. “You can replace the position but you can’t replace the player like that,” Van Nistelrooy said. “He is unique.”