Leicester City boss Ruud van Nistelrooy insists that the team's focus on securing a win against Ipswich Town is the ideal way to honour Jamie Vardy in his 500th and final appearance for the club.
The 38-year-old, who has been heavily linked with a summer move to Leeds United, will bid farewell to the Foxes at season's end after an illustrious 13-year stint, with his last home game set before he sits out the final match at Bournemouth, ensuring a parting tribute at the King Power Stadium.
The club has gone all out with a special A4-sized matchday programme celebrating Vardy, whose scoring prowess was pivotal in Leicester's unforgettable Premier League victory in 2016 and their FA Cup success five years later.
With 199 goals from 499 appearances, the ex-England forward, who made public his departure following the team's relegation to the Championship, is eager to hit the 200-goal milestone in the clash with Ipswich.
Van Nistelrooy has confirmed that Vardy will captain Leicester on Sunday, but emphasised that everyone must remain concentrated on the task at hand.
"We are all part of his last game, around Jamie and his family. We are all ready to give him the best possible send-off," said Van Nistelrooy, acknowledging the significance of Vardy's contribution to the club.
During a press conference, Van Nistelrooy remarked: "For me it is important to prepare for the matches like I always do with the staff."
The coach emphasised the point: "To prepare the team to perform as good as they can and I think that is the most important thing I can do."
Expressing confidence in his player, he added: "The rest is up to him and he will be ready for that, and the way I know him, he will come in and do his best to try and win the game."
Reflecting on Vardy's remarkable run in 2015 when he scored in 11 successive Premier League games, surpassing Van Nistelrooy's record of 10, the Dutch coach praised his consistency: "When you see the amount of times a player is performing at the highest level, that is the biggest achievement."
He continued to highlight Vardy's career milestones: "When you have performed 13 seasons at this level, coming up to 500 games, 200 goals, that says it all."
The coach further explained: "It says something on your mindset, on your standards, how you live your life around football, preparing yourself day in, day out, to perform."
Coming to terms with Vardy's impending departure, he said: "Then you look at the trophies he has won, also the individual achievements he reached, this is the total package for one of the greatest."
The sentiment didn't stop there, as he acknowledged Vardy's intentions: "This will be his last game for Leicester City, but he wants to continue playing, so in that sense he is committed to perform and to play."
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