Jamie Vardy blows referee’s whistle to stop Leicester-Southampton game after official suffers head injury | OneFootball

Leicester City captain Jamie Vardy took matters into his own hands on Saturday by blowing the referee’s whistle to stop play after the official had gone down injured.

Midway through the first half of Leicester’s Premier League game with fellow relegated side Southampton, referee David Webb suffered an accidental collision with Leicester’s Jordan Ayew and collapsed to the floor holding his head while play continued around him.

Vardy – who will leave Leicester at the end of the season after 13 years at the club – jumped into action, lifting up Webb’s arm to blow his whistle, which was wrapped around the referee’s right hand, in order to stop the game.

Webb, making his Premier League debut, was treated by medics and got to his feet before being removed from the pitch and replaced in the middle by fourth official Sam Barrott.

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Sam Barrott replaced Daivd Webb in the middle (Reuters)

Earlier, Vardy had scored his 144th Premier League goal, taking him level in the charts with Robin van Persie. The 38-year-old’s 199th goal in a Foxes shirt set Ruud van Nistelrooy’s side on their way to a first win since January.

It ended Leicester’s long wait for a home goal, since Bobby De Cordova-Reid's equaliser against Brighton on 8 December 2024, and Ayew then added a second after scoring a rebound from his own free-kick which had hit the wall.

The delay in treating Webb and readying Barrott to replace him led to 12 minutes being added on to the end of the first half at the King Power Stadium.

Vardy was a key member of the Foxes’ side which against all the odds lifted the Premier League title in 2016, and will depart in the summer in the wake of a relegation from the top-flight he has described as “such a s*** show”.

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Vardy, right, scores Leicester's first goal of the game (Action Images via Reuters)

He also won the FA Cup with the club he joined as a 25-year-old from non-league Fleetwood for £1m in May 2012, and will go with almost 500 appearances and approaching 200 goals to his name, but has insisted he will play on elsewhere.

Speaking in a video message to fans last month, Vardy said: “To the fans of Leicester, I’m gutted that this day is coming, but I knew it was going to come eventually.

“I’ve had 13 unbelievable years at this club with lots of success, some downs, but the majority all highs. But it’s finally time to call it a day, which I’m devastated about, but I think the timing is right.

“I just want to sincerely thank you all for taking me in as one of your own. Leicester will always, always have a massive place in my heart and I’ll make sure that I will be following for the years to come in what I hope will be even more success for the club.

“But as for now, this is my goodbye but you will see me again soon, I promise. Thank you.”