Cremonese Jamie Vardy signs a year with Burnley as he nears 40

After a season in Italy with Cremonese, Jamie Vardy, soon to be forty years old, signed on Sunday a one‑year contract with Burnley, a club playing in the Championship. The transfer marks his return to England after a 13‑year spell at Leicester.

A spell in Italy

Vardy joined Cremonese in the summer of 2025, a club relegated to Serie B. During the season, he scored seven goals in twenty‑six appearances before leaving the club on a free transfer at the end of the campaign.

The return to England

The one‑year contract with Burnley puts the veteran in the English second tier, where the Clarets are struggling: two consecutive defeats (1‑2 against Middlesbrough and Bristol), two draws and three losses, leaving them at the bottom of the Championship.

Vardy remains a Leicester legend, having tallied two hundred goals in five hundred matches and winning the league title in 2016. He has also earned twenty‑six caps for England, scoring seven goals.

"His experience and leadership will be valuable for our team, and we are convinced that he will have a significant impact on our season," said Clarets manager Nicky Hayen in the official statement.

The player will turn forty on January 11, 2027, barely a few months after his return to England. He has not yet announced his definitive retirement from professional football.

With his history as a prolific scorer and his international experience, Vardy brings to Burnley a rare profile in the Championship, where his influence could help the club reverse its current poor momentum.