The jet-heeled England international was brought to City by Sven-Goran Eriksson, his former boss with England and Manchester City in October 2010. He took the decision to join Turkish club Ankaragücü after dropping down the pecking order in Manchester but was keen for a return to England, and Leicester offered it. He scored his first Foxes goal in a 5-1 victory over Doncaster Rovers in December and become a key player for the club.
Strong and fast in his play, Vassell could play in a typical centre forward role or also on the wing, with his versatility being favourable with Eriksson. During that first season at the Walkers Stadium he made 31 appearances and scored four goals.
Coming through the Aston Villa youth ranks, Vassell made his name at Villa Park and also enjoyed 22 appearances for England, scoring six goals in the process. His success saw him move on to Manchester City, where he made over 100 appearances before going on to play in Turkey and with City.