(Reuters) -Striker Jamie Vardy has joined Serie A side Cremonese, the Italian club said on Monday, launching a new chapter for the 38-year-old after his 13-year spell at Leicester City ended in May.
He joins the club on a deal running until June next year, with an option to extend if certain conditions are met.
Vardy scored his 200th goal for Leicester on his 500th and final appearance for the club on the penultimate day of last season, bringing his career there to a close in front of the home fans 13 years to the day after he signed.
The Englishman was part of the Leicester side which caused a massive upset by winning the Premier League title in 2016 under Italian manager Claudio Ranieri and won the FA Cup in 2021.
Vardy was given a warm welcome to Italy on Sunday, signing autographs on his arrival, with fans, some already sporting tattoos of the player's face, chanting 'take us into Europe'.
The promoted club's main target for this season will be Serie A survival but their promising start, together with Vardy's arrival, has given the supporters reason to dream.
Cremonese have won their opening two games, including a surprise 2-1 victory over AC Milan at the San Siro along with a 3-2 win against fellow-promoted side Sassuolo on Friday.
(Reporting by Trevor Stynes; Additional reporting by Tommy Lund in Gdansk; Editing by Ken Ferris)
