- Jamie Vardy signs new contract with Leicester City
- England striker commits future to the Foxes until 2019
- Vardy is the Premier League's leading scorer with 18 goals this season
- Sheffield-born forward has started every game in Leicester's rise to the top of the league
Leicester City are delighted to confirm that Jamie Vardy has signed a new contract with the Football Club, keeping him at King Power Stadium until June 2019.
The Barclays Premier League's 18-goal leading scorer signs terms that commit his future to the Premier League leaders for a further year beyond his existing deal.
Jamie Vardy said:"I’m absolutely delighted to be fighting to achieve something special with this Club, as part of this squad. 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."
Leicester City manager Claudio Ranieri said:"Jamie is a fighter. 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."
Since joining City in the summer of 2012 from non-league Fleetwood Town, Vardy, 29, has completed an impressive rise to the top of the English game, establishing himself as a Premier League striker and England international just three years after his final non-league appearance.
The Sheffield-born forward was a key figure in Leicester's promotion to the Premier League, scoring 16 goals in the 2013/14 Championship season en route to the title, secured with a Club record 102 points.
Vardy's relentless displays during the Foxes' historic escape from possible relegation last term earned him a maiden England call-up. He made his Three Lions debut as a substitute in a goalless draw with the Republic of Ireland in Dublin in June and has since won a further three caps, helping Roy Hodgson's squad reach this summer's European Championship Finals in France.
Vardy hit the ground running at the start of his second Premier League season - finding the net in an opening day win over Sunderland before embarking on an historic run of scoring in 11 consecutive matches, breaking the Premier League record set by Ruud Van Nistelrooy in 2003.
His contribution at the sharp end of Ranieri’s tight-knit squad has helped lead City to the Premier League summit with 13 games of the season remaining. Vardy has started all 25 games played so far, including Saturday’s 3-1 win at Manchester City.