Jamie Vardy will not be making an emotional return to Leicester City despite undergoing fitness tests at their training ground, talkSPORT understands.
Vardy set tongues wagging over a surprise move back to the Foxes when he shared a video on his Instagram wearing the club’s new training kit.
The 39-year-old is a free agent having departed Italian side Cremonese following their relegation to Serie B.
Vardy shows off brutal training session
However, it is believed that Vardy was back at his former employers to check his fitness levels.
Vardy was certainly put through his paces inside an indoor training centre at Leicester’s sprawling complex.
In the clip, Vardy appeared to undergo a variation of the dreaded yo-yo test, which requires players to run a set distance at increasing speeds.
Adding to the difficulty was the temperature, which Vardy claimed was 34 degrees Celsius.
Leicester’s longtime Vardy Party
Vardy was unsurprisingly welcomed back to Leicester with open arms given he made 500 appearances for the club across 13 seasons.
In that iconic span, the veteran helped Leicester famously defy 5,000/1 odds to win the Premier League as well as the FA Cup in 2021.
Those two pieces of silverware would not have been possible without Vardy’s eye for goal, as he ended his Foxes career having netted 200 times across all competitions.
Vardy departed Leicester at the conclusion of the 2024/25 season, which also sadly resulted in relegation.
Unfortunately for the Foxes, things went from bad to worse.
3
A tumultuous season on and off the pitch ended with Leicester enduring back-to-back relegations, with the club to play League One football for the first time in 17 years.
As for Vardy, he could not help keep Cremonese in Serie A despite his best efforts.
The 39-year-old scored seven goals and provided three assists in 29 games for the Italian club, proving he still has what it takes, even as an elder statesmen.
Where could Jamie Vardy continue his career?
With Vardy continuing to build up his fitness, attention will shift towards where he will land next.
Speaking recently about whether he has any plans to hang up his boots, he said: “No, I’m not going to give up playing just yet, but it’s something more for later down the line.”
One club who could be a suitor for the Premier League winner is newly-promoted Hull City.
3
talkSPORT presenter Jeff Stelling tipped the Tigers to swoop for Vardy, citing his vast Premier League experience as an enticing reason.
“I’m not sure he will be coming back to the Premier League,” Stelling said on Breakfast in May.
“But when I look at Hull, the way they play, it might suit Jamie Vardy if he wants another crack at the Premier League.
“They’ve gone for experienced players, you look at their squad, it’s bang full of experienced players.
“And you don’t get much more experienced than Jamie Vardy.
“So if they could get someone who’s going to put the ball in the back of the net… they’ve got Oli McBurnie and he deserves a chance, but who knows?”
World Cup WhatsApp
Don’t miss an update from talkSPORT in our dedicated World Cup WhatsApp channel.
Search for ‘talkSPORT World Cup’ in your ‘Updates’ tab on WhatsApp and we’ll drop the proper, unfiltered football chat straight to your lock screen—no fluff, just pure talkSPORT energy.
It’s where you’ll find out all the new rules to watch out for, England and Scotland reaction and big match player ratings.
Plus there will be loads of debates on the biggest talking points as Haaland, Mbappe, Kane and the biggest names in football descend on America, Canada and Mexico.
