Victor Wanyama facts for kids
Wanyama with Tottenham Hotspur in 2017
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 25 June 1991 | ||
| Place of birth | Nairobi, Kenya | ||
| Height | 1.88 m | ||
| Playing position | Defensive midfielder | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | CF Montréal | ||
| Number | 2 | ||
| 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) |
| 2016–2020 | Tottenham Hotspur | 69 | (6) |
| 2020–2024 | CF Montréal | 117 | (5) |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2007– | Kenya | 64 | (6) |
† Appearances (Goals). |
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Victor Mugubi Wanyama was born on June 25, 1991. He is a professional footballer from Kenya. He played as a defensive midfielder for the Major League Soccer club CF Montréal. Victor also plays for the Kenya national team.
Victor Wanyama made history as the first Kenyan player to score in the UEFA Champions League. This happened on November 7, 2012, when he scored the first goal in Celtic's 2–1 win against Barcelona. In 2013, he joined Premier League club Southampton. This move made him the most expensive player sold by a Scottish club at that time. Later, in 2016, he moved to Tottenham Hotspur. He played there until March 2020, when he signed with Major League Soccer club Montreal Impact.
Wanyama has played over 60 games for the Kenyan national team. He started playing for his country in May 2007 when he was just 15 years old.
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Victor Wanyama's Early Life and Football Beginnings
Victor Wanyama went to Kamukunji High School. This school was famous for its great football team. After high school, he played for JMJ Academy for three years. He also joined Kenyan clubs like Nairobi City Stars and AFC Leopards.
In 2007, he joined Allsvenskan club Helsingborg in Sweden. But he returned to Kenya in 2008. This was after his brother, McDonald Mariga, moved to Serie A in Italy. When he was a child, Victor was a big fan of Celtic FC. He would watch their games at a local club in Kenya that was set up like Celtic.
Victor's Club Career Journey
Playing for Beerschot AC
Victor Wanyama signed with Beerschot AC in Belgium in 2008. He made his first team debut at the end of the 2008–09 season. In September 2009, he got a three-match ban for a strong tackle.
In 2010, Scottish Premier League club Celtic tried to sign him. But Beerschot did not let him leave. Russian club CSKA Moscow also tried to sign him, but they were not successful either. Victor scored his first goal for Beerschot in December 2010.
Joining Celtic FC
On July 9, 2011, Wanyama finally joined Celtic. He signed a four-year contract. This made him the first Kenyan player to play in the Scottish Premier League. He chose the number 67 for his jersey. This was to honor the "Lisbon Lions," Celtic's team that won the European Cup in 1967.
Victor made his Celtic league debut in August 2011. He played as a central defender, not his usual midfield role. He scored his first goal for Celtic in December 2011. It was a fantastic shot from 25 yards out. His great playing in December earned him the Young Player of the Month award.
In October 2012, Victor scored two goals against St Mirren. One of them was a powerful shot from 25 yards. On November 7, Victor scored the first goal with a strong header. This helped Celtic surprise Barcelona by beating them 2–1 in the UEFA Champions League.
Moving to Southampton
After a lot of talk, Victor Wanyama joined Premier League team Southampton on July 11, 2013. He became the first Kenyan to ever play in the Premier League. Victor said he was happy to be there and looked forward to playing in the Premier League.
He played his first game for Southampton in August 2013. He made 24 appearances in his first season. However, injuries made it hard for him to play as much as he wanted. Under new manager Ronald Koeman, Victor played much better in the 2014–15 season. He scored his first goal for the club in September 2014. He also scored a spectacular goal from 40 yards out against Hull City. His good performances earned him the league's African Player of the Month award for September.
Playing for Tottenham Hotspur
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On June 23, 2016, Victor Wanyama signed a five-year contract with Tottenham Hotspur. He had worked with Tottenham's manager, Mauricio Pochettino, at Southampton before. Victor scored his first goal for Tottenham in his first home game. This goal made him the 138th different player to score for the club in the Premier League.
In the 2017–18 season, Victor injured his knee. He was out of action for over four months. He returned to play in January 2018. His goal in Tottenham's 2–2 draw with Liverpool was voted the Premier League Goal of the Month. Victor had another knee injury in the 2018–19 season. In August 2019, Tottenham tried to sell him to Club Brugge, but the deal did not happen.
Joining CF Montréal
On March 3, 2020, Tottenham announced that Victor Wanyama would move to Major League Soccer club Montreal Impact. This club is now called CF Montréal. He became a "Designated Player" there, which means he was one of their highest-paid players.
On March 11, 2020, Victor played his first game for Montreal. He helped his team by providing an assist in a match against Honduran champions C.D. Olimpia. In November 2021, Victor was the captain of his team. They won 1–0 against Toronto FC in the 2021 Canadian Championship Final.
In October 2022, Victor said he would not stay with CF Montréal. But in January 2023, he signed a new two-year contract with the club. Victor is set to leave the club on January 1, 2025, when his contract ends.
Victor's International Career
Victor Wanyama played his first game for the Kenyan senior national team in May 2007. He was only 15 years old then. He played in all six of Kenya's 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying games.
He became the captain of the Harambee Stars (Kenya's national team) in 2013. He led Kenya in the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations. In September 2021, Victor announced he was retiring from international football. This ended his 14 years of playing for his country. However, in December 2022, he agreed to play for the national team again. This happened after a meeting with Kenya's Sports Minister.
Victor's Personal Life
Victor Wanyama comes from a family of athletes. His brother McDonald Mariga was also a professional footballer. His other brothers, Thomas and Sylvester, also play football in Kenya. His father, Noah Wanyama, was a footballer in the 1980s. Victor's sister, Mercy, is a professional basketball player in Spain.
Victor is managed by ExtraTime and has a sponsorship deal with Adidas for his boots. In 2015, he helped make a short film about football in Kenya called Mdudu Boy. In December 2022, Victor helped convince his teammate Alistair Johnston to move to his old club, Celtic FC. Johnston even joked that Victor was "agent Victor" for helping with the move.
Honours and Awards
Celtic
- Scottish Premier League: 2011–12, 2012–13
- Scottish Cup: 2012–13
Tottenham Hotspur
- UEFA Champions League runner-up: 2018–19
CF Montréal
- Canadian Championship: 2021; runner-up: 2023
Individual Awards
- PFA Scotland Team of the Year (SPL): 2012–13
- SPL Young Player of the Year: 2012–13
- SPL Young Player of the Month: December 2011
See also
In Spanish: Victor Wanyama para niños
