Leicester City

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Jamie Vardy provided many crucial goals and was the heart of a period of unmatched success for Leicester City during his 13 years at the club.

But after the Foxes suffered their second Premier League relegation in three years in 2024-25, the 38-year-old left Championship-bound East Midlands side.

In the fifth and final episode of BBC Radio Leicester's podcast series on the striker – Havin' a party: The Jamie Vardy story – a range of Foxes fans share their memories and personal stories about how the decorated striker made an impact at the King Power Stadium.

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Not every chapter of Jamie Vardy's story at Leicester City was a happy one.

The season after Premier League glory brought Champions League football to the King Power stadium. And it was on the way back from a European tie that title-winning boss Claudio Ranieri was sacked.

In episode four of BBC Radio Leicester's podcast series on the striker – Havin' a party: The Jamie Vardy story – co-host and former Foxes winger Marc Albrighton talks about the backlash that some of the Foxes' highest profile players dealt with afterwards.

The tragedy of the helicopter crash at Leicester City's King Power stadium in 2018, that killed the club's chairman Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha and four other people, is also part of this agonising chapter in the club's history.

A spotlight is also put on the off-field controversy that the striker was dragged into in later years when his wife Rebekah was accused by Coleen Rooney, the wife of former England captain Wayne Rooney, of leaking private stories to a tabloid newspaper.

What followed was to become known as the Wagatha Christie trial.

It only added to Vardy becoming a target of abuse from rivals fans during matches, but Albrighton explained just how much his team-mate enjoyed coming up with "the final say" with a goal and passionate celebration.

The episode concludes with Leicester lifting the FA Cup for the first time in their history in 2021 – which was yet another cherished chapter in the Foxes story that Vardy helped write.

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It started with a record-breaking goal-scoring spree from Jamie Vardy and ended with the most unlikely of Premier League title wins to the tune of an Italian opera.

Yep, there is nothing more surreal than the Foxes 5,000-1 top-flight triumph of 2015-16, which is the focus of the third episode of BBC Radio Leicester's podcast series - Havin' a party: The Jamie Vardy story.

Italian manager Claudio Ranieri was brought to the King Power Stadium and wasn't a universally popular appointment as Nigel Pearson's replacement at the time.

He was known as 'the Tinkerman' for how often he rotated his Chelsea side when previously at the helm of the London club.

At Leicester, he was a dream weaver for transforming the Foxes from relegation escapologists into English champions for the first time.

And it was Vardy, who earned his first England cap in 2015, who led the way with his 24 league goals.

So prolific was the then 29-year-old that he scored in a record 11 consecutive Premier League games.

Leicester City fans, as well as Vardy's former team-mates Marc Albrighton, Danny Simpson and Gary Taylor-Fletcher, as well as former Foxes striker turned BBC Radio Leicester co-commentator Matt Piper, reflect on the title-winning season and the striker's influence.

Gary Lineker, the ex-Leicester City and England forward who was then the BBC's Match of the Day host, also features in the story of a remarkable season that ended with Italian singer Andrea Bocelli singing at the King Power Stadium during their trophy lift.

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Thirteen years, 500 appearances and 200 goals ago, Jamie Vardy arrived at Leicester City as a record-breaking signing.

He became the first £1m non-league footballer when he was brought to the King Power Stadium from Fleetwood in 2012.

The second episode of BBC Radio Leicester's podcast series – Havin' a party: The Jamie Vardy story – focuses on how the striker came to grips with the huge step up with Leicester City.

He leapt from the fifth tier of English football to the second when he joined the then Championship side.

Vardy's former Foxes team-mates Neil Danns, Gary Taylor-Fletcher, Conrad Logan as well as ex-goalkeeping coach Mike Stowell and a number of supporters share their memories of what it was like to see the forward get used to life in the Championship before taking the step up to the Premier League in 2014.

Marc Albrighton, who played alongside Vardy when Leicester won the Premier League title and FA Cup in later years, is co-host of the podcast and talks about the Foxes' narrow escape from relegation in 2015 and how it would set them up for future glories.

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From international debuts to first goals for their countries, here's what you might have missed over the weekend.

Leicester City midfielder Kasey McAteer scored his first goal for the Republic of Ireland on Friday in what was his maiden start for the side.

The Foxes academy graduate got on the end of the goalkeeper's parry to put his side ahead before Senegal equalised in the 82nd minute for a 1-1 draw.

Ipswich Town midfielder Jack Taylor also made his first international start for the Republic in the friendly.

Nineteen-year-old Birmingham City Under-21s player Menzi Mazwi made his debut for Zimbabwe during their 2-0 loss to South Africa in the COSAFA Cup on Saturday, coming on as a substitute in the 77th minute.

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With the Jamie Vardy party at Leicester City now over, the striker's remarkable journey to becoming the greatest Foxes goalscorer of all time has been chronicled by BBC Radio Leicester.

Former winger Marc Albrighton, who won the Premier League title and lifted the FA Cup alongside the England forward, joins Leicester City commentator Owynn Palmer-Atkin in hosting the five-part series.

Episode one starts at the beginning of Vardy's remarkable football journey and the disappointment of being released by boyhood club Sheffield Wednesday as a teenager.

His time playing for a college team after that was followed by a life-shaping spell at Stocksbridge Park Steels – where he played for six months with an electronic tag on his ankle after being convicted of assault.

A 6:00pm curfew that was also imposed on Vardy meant the first two occasions that Neil Aspin went to try watch the forward during his time as Halifax boss, he wasn't there because both matches were evening kick-offs.

"From first seeing him, I knew he was a player we had to sign," Aspin said.

It cost the West Yorkshire club £15,000 to get a player that would go on to score 145 Premier League goals and net seven times in 26 internationals for England.

Aspin also tells the story of Vardy coming close to scoring a hat-trick of hat-tricks in one week of his one season with Halifax, which earned him a move to then non-league side Fleetwood Town.

It was his golden-boot winning exploits with the Cod Army, which helped them win promotion to the English Football League for the first time in 2011-12, that made Vardy the first non-league player to cost £1m when he then joined Championship club Leicester.

Steve Walsh, Leicester City's former head of recruitment, talks about how they landed the future star's signature when Southampton had also been "in for him".

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Leicester City defender Woyo Coulibaly made his international debut for Mali during their 1-0 friendly defeat by DR Congo on Thursday.

French-born full-back Coulibaly, 26, - signed by the Foxes from Parma for a reported £3m in January - was called up for the African nation for the first time in May, having switched nationalities from France.

There was also a first for Hamza Choudhury, who scored his maiden goal for Bangladesh during their 2-0 victory over Bhutan on Wednesday.

The Foxes academy graduate, 27, nodded in opener in the sixth minute on just his second appearance for the Bengal Tigers.

"I can't imagine it's a situation that leaves a manager brimming with confidence that he's a man to lead the side forward or, in fact, the man the club want around.

"There is a growing possibility that the longer this goes on that Ruud van Nistelrooy will be the man to lead Leicester City into the Championship."

The When You're Smiling podcast team talk to journalists and fans about what Leicester City need to do in the transfer window - and whether shopping for a new manager is on the list.

Listen to the full episode and more on BBC Sounds.

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Leicester City's failure to clarify the future of manager Ruud van Nistelrooy has become increasingly "baffling", according to former Foxes striker Matty Fryatt.

The East Midlands club had relegation from the Premiers League confirmed on 20 April and the campaign came to an end nearly two weeks ago.

In just three weeks, Leicester will learn their schedule for the 2025-26 campaign when Championship fixtures are released. A week later and the squad is expected to assemble for preseason training.

"What a mess it is," Fryatt told BBC East Midlands Today.

"What is it, six weeks since relegation was confirmed and still they are no further along?

"Everyone needs some clarity, the supporters and football club as a whole, because time is ticking."

Fryatt, however, does see that financial pressures and the timing of a possible sacking could be behind any delays.

Leicester have faced a number of profit and sustainability charges in recent years, with the latest – relating to an alleged breach of EFL financial rules for the 2023-24 season, when they were last in the second tier – coming in May.

"My only assumption would be that it's because of the financial implications that Ruud is still in charge," Fryatt said.

"Because if he was going to be the manager for next season, you would have thought you would have heard from the club, but there has been nothing, absolutely zero communication, which is baffling to me."

Nicola Pearson
BBC Sport journalist

As the dust settles on the 2024-25 Premier League season, we have been taking a look at some of the alternative ways the the table could have finished...

It is the table no-one wants to be top of.

While some fans will feel pretty comfortable when their team goes in front, for others, it is just the start of what could prove to be an emotional rollercoaster.

The fans who had to suffer the disappointment of wondering 'what might have been' most were those of Tottenham.

If the Premier League season had come down to which side lost the most points from winning positions then Spurs would have been top of the pile.

There were 22 occasions in which Ange Postecoglou's team were in front, but they went on to win only half of those, with four ending in draws and seven in defeat.

While 'Ange-ball' provides entertainment, as shown in the Europa League final, if the Spurs boss had adapted on a few more occasions, they might have found themselves celebrating a more successful league campaign than one that left them a place above the relegation zone.

For Fulham fans, it was hard to know whether they were coming or going.

While they were one of the 'comeback kings' having picked up 21 points from losing positions, they also dropped 28 points from winning ones.

Rather than consistent inconsistency, boss Marco Silva will be hoping for less of a rollercoaster next campaign if they want to achieve their European dream.

There were not a lot occasions in which relegated Southampton and Ipswich were in front, but when they were, they struggled to see them through. The 28 and 27 points lost respectively could have been the difference-makers in the fight to stay up.

At the other end of the scale, Newcastle supporters could often sit comfortably in the knowledge that when they went in front, they were unlikely to see any other result at the end.

In fact, of the 23 games in which they were in a winning position, they drew twice and lost just once - a confidence they will hope to take into the Champions League next season too.

Much was said of Chelsea's questionable defensive abilities and the maturity of such a young side. But despite this, they too were a team regularly able to see out a game they were leading - winning 20 of the 26 such occasions.

Two perhaps more surprising additions at this end of the table are relegated Leicester City and a Manchester United side who set unwanted club records for the season.

While there were not many occasions when the two sides were in a leading position - 10 for Leicester and 16 for United - between them they lost just three times and dropped only 10 and 11 points restrictively.

Some solace for supporters in otherwise underwhelming campaigns.

*Table data from Football365

Kate Blakemore
Fan writer

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There has been much talk this season, and the past few seasons, about changes needed at Leicester City. Many skeletons seem to be lurking in the Foxes' closet and, one by one, they are slowly being discovered, providing setback after setback in our quest to restabilise the club.

While I am never expectant of full disclosure of what has been going on behind the scenes, I do expect to have some sort of communication from the club about various significant events.

Those include: the relegation to the Championship for the second time in three seasons; the departure of Jamie Vardy; the Ruud Van Nistelrooy-shaped elephant in the room; the financial constraints the club faces under PSR and what that means for future transfer windows.

Like I said, this does not mean full disclosure, but it does mean an acknowledgement the club is aware of issues and concerns of fans - and maybe even an acceptance of mistakes made, or a collective responsibility.

Up until now, a lot of blame has been placed at the door of John Rudkin, our director of football. But is this misplaced or misguided? Is the club accepting of one scapegoat?

A little communication could go a long way to help placate the frustration of fans.

It can be done. Plymouth Argyle's chairman has just issued a statement to fans - not with solutions, just with information and asking for patience. Open and honest - there is truth in that always being the best policy.

Supporter engagement should not be conditional - it should be par for the course of running a football club, where good PR and fan sentiment are strongly correlated.

Communication will help to break down the barriers of 'us' and 'them' and pave the way to a united club and fanbase as we head into yet another unpredictable season both on and off the pitch.

I do fear it may be business as usual, though, and the silence coming out of the club will be as deafening as some of the boos on matchday.

Find more from Kate Blakemore at Leicester Till I Die, external

Nicola Pearson
BBC Sport journalist

As the dust settles on the 2024-25 Premier League season, we have been taking a look at some of the alternative ways the the table could have finished...

A Premier League season can sometimes be a tale of two halves.

Some come flying out of the blocks, while others are more sluggish starters.

The busy Christmas period can be a turning point with the arrival of the January transfer window feeling like a fresh start.

So what might have happened if the league season only start on 1 January?

Well, Pep Guardiola's title-winning machines would have picked up their fifth Premier League trophy in a row.

Playing one game fewer than actual champions Liverpool - who secured the title with four games remaining - they would have finished one point clear of the Reds, not withstanding Arne Slot's side slowdown in form after sealing the title.

City always seem to come good after January, but this time it was not enough to outweigh the torrid time they had from late autumn.

The rest of the top six is not too dissimilar to the final placings, although in this case, Aston Villa would have secured Champions League football and Brighton a Europa League spot in the absence of Chelsea - whose form nose-dived at the very beginning of the year.

And while the new year is a new start for some, it is less so for others.

That was the case for many of those down the bottom of the league.

The relegated trio would still have been relegated and Manchester United and Tottenham would still have ended up in the bottom six. West Ham find themselves one place lower after Wolves picked up form under Vitor Pereira.

So what does this tell us? If you wan to achieve your Premier League ambitions, it is about making sure you are there for nine months and not just from January.

*Table data from Football365

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Former Leicester City midfielder Dean Hammond says decisions on the Foxes' future need to be made quickly to provide clarity for fans.

Hammond told BBC Radio Leicester's When You're Smiling podcast: "The hardest thing in football is to make decisions, and I think the quicker you can make them, the better, because it gives everyone a bit of clarity and a bit of understanding and puts everyone at ease because they know what's happening and what's expected.

"Who's going to lead the team next season would be the biggest decision for me, because until it's decided whether Ruud van Nistelrooy stays or a new manager comes in, then I'm not sure how you plan.

"It's so important to have that person in place to start putting forward the direction of the football club for next season.

"The more time you get with the players you're going to work with for the majority of the season, the better time you're going to have to implement your playing style.

"You need to get to know players. You need to build relationship with players. New players need to come in and settle. They need to understand how they're going to play and what is expected.

"Leicester City does not feel like a stable club in this moment, and I wonder, with that in mind, how important this summer overall really is for Leicester City, not just for now and for next season, but for what the club want to achieve in the next maybe five to 10 years."

Listen to the full episode on BBC Sounds here

Nick Mashiter
BBC Sport football news reporter

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The season will hardly be remembered fondly.

Relegation, a record-equalling run of defeats, division between the fans and the club, a change of manager, the departure of a legend and a season-ending profit and sustainability charge.

Ruud Van Nistelrooy replaced Steve Cooper in November and the change did not work. The Dutchman has carried himself extremely well - as you would expect for someone of his experience in the game - but failed to get results.

He lost 19 of his 27 games, winning five - with two of those coming in the last four matches when the Foxes had already been relegated.

Under him Leicester became the first Premier League team to lose eight games in a row without scoring during a run of defeats between February and April, which also equalled the club's record losing streak.

It leaves Van Nistelrooy in a fragile position, with the expectation he will leave while Russell Martin is a leading contender to replace him.

Fans called for the departure of director of football Jon Rudkin, who they view as key in their decline following two relegations in three years yet there seems to be no appetite to change at the top.

Leicester are entering a new era - one post Jamie Vardy - with the striker leaving at the end of his contract next month.

He is the last of the 2016 title winners left and the Foxes must find a new direction in the Championship next season, even as they look to avoid a points deduction.

We asked you to select your Leicester player of the season from the four candidates chosen by our fan contributor.

After taking part in your thousands, we can reveal the winner is... Jamie Vardy!

Here's what Kate Blakemore from Leicester Till I Die, external said about him:

Despite at one stage having an 11-game goal drought, Vardy is our top goalscorer this season on a tear-inducing nine goals (the bar is low this year).

His performances have fallen short of his usual high standards, but he has still brought some of his magic to the back of the net.

See the final poll breakdown

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Chris Collinson
BBC Sport statistician

Bournemouth and Tottenham were the most physical teams in the Premier League this season when considering the distance they covered and the number of sprints performed.

The results might explain why they had a lot of injuries.

Newcastle and Brighton were not too far behind though, with Brighton actually covering the most ground in the league, with fewer sprints.

Chelsea and Liverpool's style of play saw them sprint a lot but not cover a lot of ground, while Manchester City and Arsenal were the opposite (ran a lot but didn't sprint a lot).

Nottingham Forest very much had their own style of play this season as they both ran and sprinted the least.

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Former Leicester goalkeeping coach Mike Stowell believes the club's players need a different style of management to what Ruud van Nistelrooy offers.

Speaking on BBC Radio Leicester's 'When You're Smiling' podcast, Stowell said he believes the Dutch boss was more of a friend than a coach to players.

He said: "It feels different this season. It was almost doomed to fail early on, and just the manner in which they've gone down is disappointing.

"Two years ago under Brendan Rodgers, that was a shock to end up going down. I wouldn't say there was inevitability about this team going down though.

"Who knows what would have happened if we didn't sack Steve Cooper. For me, he came with baggage but that shouldn't be the case.

"There was no reason for me to think Leicester were going down and they had to sack Cooper.

"I've met Ruud van Nistelrooy and he's a lovely bloke. But I get the feeling he was the players' friend rather than the players' coach.

"I feel they needed someone in there that would drive them rather than befriend them.

"He is an incredible man, but that doesn't make you a great manager."

Listen to the full podcast here

Chris Forryan
Fan writer

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Season rating: 1/10. I fail to think of anything positive to say about what is possibly the worst season since the Frank McLintock season of 1977-78.

Happy with your manager? Is this a trick question? I would be happier with piles. After a few games when things started to pick up and look better, we had Ruud van Nistelrooy going back to his old drawing board against Bournemouth.

Unsung hero: Luke Thomas. One-time target of the terrace boo boys and social media keyboard warriors. After torrid loans at Sheffield United and Middlesbrough, he stood up to the mark when given the chance. He does walk a bit lopsided - probably caused by still having Mohamed Salah in his pocket.

Player you would most like to sign: I am going against almost everything I have been saying all season, but I would like to sign... JAMIE VARDY!

Not his best season by any stretch of the imagination. Not since 2005-06 have we had a season with the top goalscorer having so low a number as 10. But we love his leadership, commitment and effort. Let's be honest, with the service Vardy got this season, Lionel Messi wouldn't have scored.

Right now, my overriding emotion from the season is: Anger! Anger that this owner has let the club his family turned into champions, and set the example for the likes of Brighton, Bournemouth, Brentford to follow, become a laughing stock. The big six, who said they must never let another Leicester happen again, must be celebrating our demise. Tough decisions have to be made at executive level, but can Kuhn Top make them?

Do you agree with Chris' answers? Pick one or two categories and send your views

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Here's my quick assessment of Liverpool's Premier League season - and a return to my August predictions.

Pre-season prediction: 19th

Ended the season: 18th

Steve Cooper lasted five months after succeeding Enzo Maresca. Ruud van Nistelrooy replaced Cooper, and took Leicester down. Jamie Vardy had a more colourful phrase for it, but here I will just say it was a fiasco.

Performances were desperate. There was fan discontent. It was not the note on which Vardy wanted to end his 13 years at King Power Stadium.

Leicester's supporters are often accused of demanding too much. Whether this is true or not, they had every right to demand better than this on and off the pitch.

What I said in August: "Cooper and Leicester could defy the odds but it may well be a steep uphill struggle."

Read my assessments of the other 19 teams here

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We asked for your views on Leicester's performance against Bournemouth, and their season overall.

Here are some of your comments:

Lindsay: I feel terrible. The manager never dramatically changed his style or first XI and left out in-form academy stars that were proving themselves in their squads. Ruud van Nistelrooy has to go and we need a proven manager who can bring in fresh players and merge them with the young stars of the academy, as long as PSR allows it.

Martin: We spent far too long chasing Graham Potter, but Harry Potter couldn't have kept us up this season. If Ruud wants to stay, I'd stick with him and give him the opportunity to build something. The clearout needs to be substantial, though.

Chris: Been going down the City for over 50 years and I'm certain there were more miserable seasons - but I can't remember one. Hollywood managerial signings very rarely work out well.

Phil: The longer it takes to make the change we all know needs to come, the poorer the pool of replacements will be, and the weaker the group of free agents will be. I would get Russell Martin in quickly so he can revive the squad with fresh blood.

John: Absolutely rubbish all season. Top needs to replace both Jon Rudkin and Susan Whelan straight away so the club can start afresh next season. I feel sorry for Ruud.