Victor Wanyama

Victor Wanyama

Wanyama playing with Tottenham Hotspur in 2016
Personal information
Full name Victor Mugubi Wanyama[1]
Date of birth (1991-06-25) 25 June 1991[1]
Place of birth Nairobi, Kenya
Height 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)[1]
Playing position Defensive midfielder
Club information
Current team
 Tottenham Hotspur
Number 12
Youth career
2006–2008 JMJ Youth Academy
2006 Nairobi City Stars
2006–2007 AFC Leopards
2007–2008 Helsingborg
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2008–2011 Beerschot 51 (2)
2011–2013 Celtic 61 (10)
2013–2016 Southampton 85 (4)
2016– Tottenham Hotspur 10 (1)
National team‡
2007– Kenya 42 (4)

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only and correct as of 29 October 2016.

‡ National team caps and goals correct as of 29 May 2016

Victor Mugubi Wanyama (Kenyan English: [ˈvɪktɜ muˈɡubiː wɑˈɲɑːmɑ]; born 25 June 1991) is a Kenyan professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder for Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur and captains the Kenya national team.[2] On the field, Wanyama is known for his sportsmanship and leadership qualities.[2]

Wanyama became the first ever Kenyan player to score in the UEFA Champions League when he scored the first goal in Celtic's 2–1 win over Barcelona on 7 November 2012.[3] On 11 July 2013, Wanyama moved to Premier League club Southampton for £12.5 million making him the most expensive player sold by a Scottish club, surpassing the £9.5 million Russian club Spartak Moscow paid for Aiden McGeady in 2010.[4]

He has earned over 40 caps for the Kenyan national team since making his international debut in May 2007 at the age of 15.

Early life

Wanyama attended Kamukunji High School, which fields a successful football team. Upon leaving High School, he also played with JMJ Academy for three years during which time he also joined Kenyan Premier League clubs Nairobi City Stars and AFC Leopards.[5] In 2007 he joined Allsvenskan club Helsingborg but after the departure of his brother McDonald Mariga to Serie A side Parma in 2008, Wanyama returned to Kenya.

Club career

Beerschot AC

After a successful trial, Wanyama signed for Beerschot AC on a four-year contract in summer 2008. He made his debut in a League match at the end of the 2008–09 season. In September 2009, he was fined €100 and given a three-match suspension for a violent tackle on Matias Suarez of Anderlecht.[6]

In the summer of 2010 Scottish Premier League club Celtic attempted to sign Wanyama but Beerschot did not allow him to leave. Russian club CSKA Moscow also attempted to sign him, but they failed as well.[7]

Wanyama scored his first goal for Beerschot on 11 December 2010, a 77th-minute equaliser against Westerlo. In April 2011, he received another three match suspension after video evidence showed he had elbowed Brecht Dejaeghere of K.V. Kortrijk.[8]

Celtic

Wanyama playing for Celtic in 2012

On 9 July 2011, Wanyama finally completed a £900,000 move to Celtic from Beerschot AC, after the Scottish club had failed to sign him the previous year.[9][10] He signed a four-year contract and in doing so became the first ever Kenyan to play in the SPL. Wanyama chose 67 as his squad number to honour the Lisbon Lions, Celtic's 1967 European Cup winning team.[11][12] Wanyama made his Celtic league debut in a 1–0 loss to St Johnstone on 21 August 2011. He played in central defence rather than his favoured central midfield role.[13] He came on as a late substitute in a 4–0 win over Motherwell,[14] and played for the whole second half in a 2–0 League Cup win over Ross County.[15] On 29 September 2011, he started in Celtic's 1–1 draw with Italian team Udinese in the Europa League. This was his first European match for the club.[16] On 10 December 2011, Wanyama scored his first goal for Celtic in a 1–0 win over Hearts at Celtic Park, a tremendous 25-yard strike which hit the top corner.[17] His performances during December earned him the Scottish Premier League young player of the month award.[18] He scored his second Celtic goal on 2 January 2012 in a 3–0 win against Dunfermline at East End Park.[19] Wanyama scored in Celtic's 2–1 win against Dundee United at Celtic Park[20] and in the 4–0 victory against Hearts at Tynecastle.[21]

In October 2012, Wanyama scored twice against St Mirren at Saint Mirren Park, the second of which was a half volley from 25 yards out.[22]

On 25 October 2012, Wanyama's agent released a statement saying that he had turned down an improved contract offer from Celtic, stating that his wage demands could not be met by the club amid speculation of interest from clubs in England.[23] On 7 November, Wanyama opened the scoring with a powerful header as Celtic shocked Barcelona in the Champions League group stage, by beating them 2–1 at Celtic Park.[24]

Southampton

Wanyama with Southampton in September 2014

After much speculation and a previous breakdown in talks, on 11 July 2013, Wanyama signed for Premier League side Southampton for a fee claimed to be £12.5 million,[25] making him the first Kenyan to ever play in the Premier League.[26]

Wanyama said:

“ Southampton is a good club and it has good players, so I just want to train hard and work hard to be a part of the starting XI. We'll see where that will take me. It feels great and I am happy to be here. There were other options, but Southampton is a club with ambitions so I chose to come here. I'm very grateful to be here and I'm looking forward to playing in the Premier League. ”

He made his debut on 17 August 2013, in 1–0 away win against West Bromwich Albion.[27] Wanyama made 24 appearances in his first season, but injuries hindered his efforts to make much of an impact in the team.[28]

Under new manager Ronald Koeman, Wanyama came into his own in the 2014–15 season.[29] He scored his first goal for the club in a 1–0 league victory over Swansea City at the Liberty Stadium on 20 September 2014, after replacing James Ward-Prowse in the 69th minute.[30] His next goal came in an 8–0 trouncing of Sunderland on 19 October 2014.[31] Wanyama would score his third goal for the Saints in spectacular fashion, a 40-yard shot after Eldin Jakupović's poor clearance fell straight to him, in what proved to be the only goal in a win over Hull City.[32] His performances saw him awarded the league's African Player of the Month for September,[29] with him stating "It is wonderful being recognised as someone who has done well for his club."[29]

Tottenham Hotspur

On 23 June 2016, Premier League club Tottenham Hotspur announced that they had reached an agreement with Southampton for the transfer of Wanyama,[33] signing a five-year contract for a fee of £11 million.[34] Wanyama had previously worked with Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino who brought him to Southampton in July 2013.[35] Wanyama scored his first goal for the club on his home debut against Crystal Palace, in the 82nd minute of a 1–0 league win for Spurs.[36] The goal made him the 138th different player to score for the club, extending its record for the most variety of goalscorers for a single club in the Premier League.[37]

International career

Wanyama made his debut for the Kenyan national team in May 2007, aged just 15 in a friendly against Nigeria.[5] He also played in all six of Kenya's 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifiers. He became the captain of his national team in 2013.

International goals

As of match played 29 May 2016. Kenya score listed first, score column indicates score after each Wanyama goal.[38]
International goals by date, venue, cap, opponent, score, result and competition
No. Date Venue Cap Opponent Score Result Competition
1 26 March 2011Nyayo National Stadium, Nairobi, Kenya11 Angola2–12–12012 Africa Cup of Nations qualification
2 15 November 2011Nyayo National Stadium, Nairobi, Kenya18 Seychelles4–04–02014 FIFA World Cup qualification
3 7 June 2015Stade Amahoro, Kigali, Rwanda34 South Sudan1–02–0Friendly
4 29 May 2016Moi International Sports Centre, Nairobi, Kenya42 Tanzania1–11–1Friendly

Career statistics

As of 22 October 2016[39][40]
Club Season League Cup League Cup Europe Total
AppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Beerschot AC 2008–09 1 0 – – – – – – 1 0
2009–10 20 0 1 0 – – – – 21 0
2010–11 30 2 4 0 – – – – 34 2
Total 51 2 5 0 – – – – 56 2
Celtic
2011–12 29 4 4 0 4 0 5 0 42 4
2012–13 32 6 5 1 2 0 10 2 49 9
Total 61 10 9 1 6 0 15 2 91 13
Southampton
2013–14 23 0 1 0 0 0 – – 24 0
2014–15 32 3 2 0 4 0 – – 38 3
2015–16 25 1 2 0 0 0 3 0 30 1
Total 80 4 5 0 4 0 3 0 92 4
Tottenham Hotspur 2016–17 9 1 0 0 0 0 2 0 11 1
Career total 2031717110020225220

Honours

Club

Celtic

Individual

Personal life

Wanyama comes from a sporting family. His brother McDonald Mariga is also a professional footballer,[41][42] while his other brothers Thomas and Sylvester Wanyama are also footballers in the Kenyan Premier League. His father, Noah Wanyama, was a footballer for A.F.C. Leopards in the 1980s,[43] and his sister Mercy is a professional basketball player in the USA.[44]

Wanyama is managed by ExtraTime,[45] and has a boot sponsorship deal with Adidas.

In 2015, Wanyama participated in the production of a short film about soccer in Kenya called Mdudu Boy, written and directed by actress Ella Smith. [46]

References

  1. 1 2 3 "Victor Wanyama". Goal.com. Retrieved 12 February 2015.
  2. 1 2 "Celtic's Victor Wanyama has joined Southampton, say Kenyans". BBC Sport. 11 July 2013. Retrieved 20 September 2014.
  3. ↑ "Wanyama: Saints' sights on Europe". FIFA. 17 December 2013. Retrieved 20 September 2014.
  4. ↑ "Southampton in record swoop for Wanyama". FIFA. 11 July 2013. Retrieved 20 September 2014.
  5. 1 2 Mugabe wants to cement position in Belgium club Standard Digital, 5 January 2010
  6. ↑ Wanyama suspendu trois matchs (Wanyama suspended three games) Footgoal, 29 September 2009 (French)
  7. ↑ Wanyama va rester au Germinal Beerschot (Wanyama stays with Germinal Beerschot) Footgoal, 16 April 2010 (French)
  8. ↑ Wanyama poursuivi (Wanyama continued) Footgoal, 18 April 2011 (French)
  9. ↑ "Wanyama is a Celt". Celtic FC. 9 July 2011. Retrieved 9 July 2011.
  10. ↑ "Victor Wanyama wins work permit appeal to sign for Celtic". Scotzine.com. 8 July 2011. Retrieved 24 January 2013.
  11. ↑ "Stipe Pletikosa and Victor Wanyama set to make Celtic bow". Evening Times. Herald & Times Group. 20 July 2011. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
  12. ↑ "Germinal's Victor Wanyama completes switch to Celtic". BBC Sport. 9 July 2011. Retrieved 25 June 2012.
  13. ↑ "'When they scored the fans wanted more and we couldn't handle it'". Herald Scotland. Herald & Times Group. 23 August 2011. Retrieved 30 August 2011.
  14. ↑ "Celtic 4–0 Motherwell". BBC Sport. 10 September 2011. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
  15. ↑ "Ross County v Celtic – 21 September". Eurosport. Yahoo! Sport. 21 September 2011. Retrieved 23 September 2011.
  16. ↑ "Celtic 1–1 Udinese". BBC Sport. 29 September 2011. Retrieved 29 September 2011.
  17. ↑ "Celtic 1–0 Hearts". BBC Sport. 10 December 2011. Retrieved 12 December 2011.
  18. ↑ "Celtic's Victor Wanyama named SPL Young Player of the Month". STV Sport. 13 January 2012. Retrieved 8 February 2012.
  19. ↑ "Dunfermline 0 – 3 Celtic". BBC Sport. 2 January 2011. Retrieved 3 January 2011.
  20. ↑ Celtic's Gary Hooper and Victor Wanyama strike to sink Dundee United guardian.co.uk, 14 January 2012
  21. ↑ Hearts 0 Celtic 4: match report The Telegraph, 8 February 2012
  22. ↑ "Clinical Celtic warmed up for the Nou Camp with what turned out to be little more than a training exercise as they outclassed a feeble St Mirren". BBC Sport. British Broadcasting Corporation. 20 October 2012. Retrieved 24 January 2013.
  23. ↑ "Scottish Football – Wanyama rejects Celtic deal". Eurosport. Yahoo!. 25 October 2012. Retrieved 26 October 2012.
  24. ↑ "Debutant Watt lights up memorable Celtic victory". UEFA. 25 October 2012. Retrieved 20 September 2014.
  25. ↑ "Victor Wanyama: Southampton sign Celtic midfielder for £12.5m". BBC Sport. 11 July 2013. Retrieved 11 July 2013.
  26. ↑ "Wanyama makes Saints switch". Southampton FC. 11 July 2013. Retrieved 11 July 2013.
  27. ↑ "West Brom 0–1 Southampton". BBC Sport. 17 August 2013. Retrieved 19 August 2013.
  28. ↑ "Victor Wanyama desperate for Saints to end with record breaking tally". Daily Echo. 21 April 2014. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
  29. 1 2 3 "Wanyama considered switch" (24 October 2014). Football 411. Retrieved 2 November 2014.
  30. ↑ "Swansea 0–1 Southampton". BBC Sport. 20 September 2014. Retrieved 20 September 2014.
  31. ↑ Reddy, Luke (18 October 2014). "Southampton 8 – 0 Sunderland". BBC Sport. Retrieved 18 October 2014.
  32. ↑ Keegan, Mike (1 November 2014). "Hull City 0 – 1 Southampton". BBC Sport. Retrieved 1 November 2014.
  33. ↑ "Wanyama transfer completed". tottenhamhotspur.com. 23 June 2016. Retrieved 23 June 2016.
  34. ↑ "Victor Wanyama: Tottenham sign Southampton midfielder on five-year deal". bbc.co.uk. 23 June 2016. Retrieved 23 June 2016.
  35. ↑ "Tottenham sign Victor Wanyama from Southampton". telegraph.co.uk. 23 June 2016. Retrieved 23 June 2016.
  36. ↑ "Tottenham v Crystal Palace: Victor Wanyama seals Spurs' first Premier League win for 2016-2017". Fox Sports Australia. 21 August 2016. Retrieved 21 August 2016.
  37. ↑ "Wanyama extends Spurs benchmark". The Premier League. 23 August 2016. Retrieved 28 August 2016.
  38. ↑ Victor Wanyama profile at Soccerway
  39. ↑ "V. WANYAMA Stats". Soccerway. Retrieved 19 January 2012.
  40. ↑ "Victor Wanyama Stats". Soccerbase. Racing Post. Retrieved 22 October 2016.
  41. ↑ Mariga confirmed at Parma Futaa.com, 31 January 2012
  42. ↑ Kenya's McDonald Mariga faces lengthy spell out BBC Sport, 13 April 2012
  43. ↑ Noah Wanyama hits the campaign trail Futaa.com, 18 October 2011
  44. ↑ Mercy Wanyama secures Kshs.20Million scholarship package MichezoAfrika, 6 August 2011
  45. ↑ Victor Wanyama ExtraTime
  46. ↑ Ellis, Dawn (2 July 2015). "Film being made by Westcountry actor has celebrity support". Western Morning News. Retrieved 5 March 2016.
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