Jamie Vardy Joins Burnley: The Foxes Legend Who Once Broke Them
Jamie Vardy has joined Burnley until the end of the season, linking up with head coach Nicky Hayen's squad as the Clarets sit bottom of the Championship — England's second tier — without a win (BBC Sport).
The move comes 48 hours after Burnley's 2-1 loss to Bristol City on September 5, a result that left the club rooted to the foot of the table (Burnley FC). Vardy, now 39, is available as a free agent after leaving Cremonese — a Serie B side in Italy — over the summer (BBC Sport).
For Vardy, the transfer carries an extra layer of story. He is Leicester City's all-time record Premier League scorer, with 145 goals in the competition (BBC Sport). That tally was built over more than a decade at a club he left for Cremonese in 2025. And Leicester, of course, are the team he tormented Burnley for on multiple occasions during his peak years, including a 2-0 defeat at Turf Moor where he and James Maddison came off the bench to score second-half goals (Burnley FC). On another occasion he marked his 250th Premier League appearance with a goal against the Clarets (Burnley FC).
Now he wears claret rather than facing it.
Vardy spoke warmly about the move. He described Burnley as a club with a proper footballing history and passionate fans who deserve a team that represents them and their town (Burnley FC).
His arrival was not inevitable. After leaving Cremonese, Vardy was linked with several clubs. West Ham were the bookmakers' favourites to sign him at 3/10, with Leicester at 7/2 (Telegraph). Everton were also reported to be considering a move for the free agent after finding themselves short of strikers at the end of the transfer window (Sky Sports).
Burnley won that race.
What makes this stand out is the contrast between the player's résumé and his new surroundings. Vardy has won the Premier League — he was the league's top scorer in Leicester's 2015-16 title-winning season — and he carries the kind of pedigree that Championship clubs rarely land on a free transfer. Burnley, meanwhile, are searching for a first win and a first sign that their season can be salvaged.
A 39-year-old striker is not a long-term fix. But Vardy's career has always defied conventional timelines. He did not reach the Premier League until he was 27. He scored 24 top-flight goals at 33. For a Burnley side short of confidence and short of goals, that record alone gives supporters something they have not had much of this season: a reason to believe.
