LONDON: England striker Jamie Vardy has signed a new contract with Premier League leaders Leicester City that will keep him at the club until June 2019.
The news completed a perfect Saturday for Leicester fans, still in ecstatic mood following the 3-1 win at Manchester City that left them five points clear at the top of the table.
"I'm absolutely delighted to be fighting to achieve something special," Vardy told the club website (www.lcfc.co.uk).
"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 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," said Vardy.
"I'll forever be grateful for the investment the club has made in me and I'll spend every day working to repay it."
The 29-year-old sensation of the season, whose rise from minor league obscurity to Premier League stardom has captured the imagination of a Hollywood scriptwriter, has agreed terms that commit his future to Leicester for a further year beyond his existing deal.
Media reports estimate the contract will earn Vardy, the league's top scorer, 80,000 pounds ($116,000) a week.
"Jamie is a fighter," said Leicester manager Claudio Ranieri. "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," added Ranieri.
Vardy, who has scored 18 league goals this season, has established himself as an England international only three years after his final minor league appearance.
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