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The moment arrived in the 28th minute, though it had been brewing all match – all day, all week, and all month, to be fair. James Justin won the ball in his own half, accelerated through the soft 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 penalty area, took one touch to steady himself and then, with a quick second touch that took the ball through Dara O’Shea’s legs and into the far corner before Alex Palmer could react, 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 in front of the Ipswich fans who had just been mocking him and his wife.
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 have this landmark. There were flags (“Thank you Vards”) for every supporter waiting in their seats. There was a super-sized commemorative programme (“Goodbye to the GOAT”). Nigel Pearson, who signed him 13 years ago to the day, was among his former managers in attendance, as were many of his teammates from the 2016 title-winning team, including Wes Morgan, Marc Albrighton, Kasper Schmeichel and Danny Simpson.
Vardy warmed up with his three children, who were among the mascots. Then there were the trademark runs and chances that indicated this would be his day, and a good one to hide Leicester’s other, deeper concerns.
It was an emotional occasion even if the match, other than Vardy’s landmark goal, felt almost irrelevant with both clubs, starting on 22 points, long since relegated. As well as where the striker’s future lies, beyond a beach with his family next week after he asked to make this game his last so he could wave farewell to the club’s supporters at home, there are so many questions to be answered.
After a “shitshow” of a season (to quote Vardy) when Leicester suffered nine successive home defeats without scoring, Ruud Van Nistelrooy, who has gained eight points from six games since relegation was accepted, has no idea if he will still be manager next season, so cannot start planning.
Even though Leif Davis shot against the inside of a post in the sixth minute, Ipswich reminding us there was another team involved in this occasion, Vardy set about making this a day of celebration. Making one of his trademark diagonal runs, he was sent in by Jordan Ayew and zoomed past O’Shea to face goal. But recovering defenders forced him wide and he shot into the side-netting via an unrewarded deflection. Two minutes later, he received a free-kick from Bilal El Khannouss, back to goal, and managed to swivel before shooting into the side-netting.
“Stand up if you love Vardy” rang around the King Power Stadium. The vast majority of those present did. Those with professional duties felt like doing so. But before his breakthrough goal came the chants of “Sack the board” and “We want Rudkin out” – Jon Rudkin, the director of football – from the Leicester fans not willing to accept Vardy’s fairytale was the only story in town.
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Claiming his first Premier League goal, Kasey McAteer had already shot against a post as Leicester sought to make the points safe when he did so, in the 69th minute, rifling a shot into the far top corner from a tight angle after El Khannouss’s clever run invited a neat layoff from Wilfred Ndidi.
The Leicester players formed a guard of honour on the touchline as, with 10 minutes to go, Vardy’s number went up and the player who is being called the greatest in Leicester’s history was replaced by Patson Daka. He took his seat in the dugout and stretched his arms up and behind him, closing his eyes, drinking in the moment.
Chants of “Jamie Vardy’s having a party” alternated with appeals to “Sack the board” throughout an afternoon that culminated in Rob Dorsett, the Sky Sports reporter, preparing to interview the man himself alongside Top Srivaddhanaprabha, the Leicester chair. Talk about attempting to bury bad news.
But it would be churlish to deny Vardy his right to a proper sendoff. No player has done more to make this the greatest decade, replete with a Premier League title and the FA Cup, in the club’s history.
