Victor Wanyama
Encyclopedia
Victor Mugabe Wanyama (born 25 June 1991) is a Kenyan footballer who plays as a midfielder for Scottish Premier League
side Celtic
and the Kenya national team
.
Clubs Nairobi City Stars and AFC Leopards
. In 2007 he joined Swedish club Helsingborgs IF
but after the departure of his brother, McDonald Mariga
from the Club to Parma
in 2008 he returned to Kenya where JMJ Academy Beerschot AC.
of Anderlecht
.
In summer 2010 Scottish Premier League club Celtic
attempted to sign the player but Beerschot AC did not allow him to leave. Russian Club CSKA Moscow
also attempted to sign him.
He scored his first goal for Beerschot AC 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
.
. Wanyama made his Celtic debut in a 1-0 loss to St. Johnstone on 21 August 2011. He played in central defence rather than his favoured midfield role. He came on as a late substitute in a 4–0 win over Motherwell
, and then played for the whole second half in a 2–0 Scottish League Cup
win over Ross County
. On 29 September, he started in Celtic's 1–1 draw with Italian team Udinese
. This was his first European match for the club.
in May 2007, aged just 15 in a friendly against Nigeria
. However, it was not an official FIFA licensed friendly, so does not count towards official international caps.
Wanyama currently has 13 international caps, scoring one goal. He also played in all six of Kenya's FIFA World Cup 2010 qualifiers.
, his father Noah Wanyama was a former footballer for AFC Leopards in the 1980s and his sister is a professional Basketball player in Kenya. He is managed by ExtraTime S.L.
and has a boot sponsorship deal with Nike
.
Scottish Premier League
The Scottish Premier League , also known as the SPL , is a professional league competition for association football clubs in Scotland...
side Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
and the Kenya national team
Kenya national football team
The Kenya national football team, nicknamed the Harambee Stars, is the national team of Kenya and is controlled by Football Kenya Limited, the governing body of football in Kenya. They have never qualified for the World Cup finals.-History:...
.
Youth career
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 LeagueKenyan Premier League
The Kenyan Premier League is the first division football league in Kenya. It was formed in 1963 under the Kenya Football Federation but is now controlled by Football Kenya Limited....
Clubs Nairobi City Stars and AFC Leopards
AFC Leopards
AFC Leopards Sports Club, often simply known as "AFC" or "the Leopards," is a soccer club, based in Nairobi which was founded in 1964. Nicknamed "ingwe" , it is a traditional and popular Kenyan team and its home stadium is the Nyayo National Stadium, with a capacity of 30,000...
. In 2007 he joined Swedish club Helsingborgs IF
Helsingborgs IF
Helsingborgs IF , commonly referred to as Helsingborg and locally HIF, is a Swedish football club located in Helsingborg. They are currently playing in the highest Swedish league, Allsvenskan...
but after the departure of his brother, McDonald Mariga
McDonald Mariga
McDonald Mariga Wanyama is a Kenyan footballer player who plays for Real Sociedad on loan from Inter Milan. Mariga made history as the first Kenyan footballer to play in the UEFA Champions League on 16 March 2010.-Early career:...
from the Club to Parma
Parma F.C.
Parma Football Club , commonly referred to as just Parma, is an Italian professional football club based in Parma, Emilia–Romagna that will compete in Serie A for the 2011–12 season, having finished in twelfth position last season. Founded as Verdi Foot Ball Club in July 1913, the club changed its...
in 2008 he returned to Kenya where JMJ Academy Beerschot AC.
Beerschot AC
After a successful trial, Wanyama signed for Beerschot AC on a four-year contract. 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 SuarezMatías Suárez
Matías Ezequiel Suárez , also known as Oreja, is an Argentine football player, who plays for Anderlecht as a forward. He scored one goal in the Clausura 2007, of the Primera División Argentina, against Vélez Sarsfield.-Career:...
of Anderlecht
R.S.C. Anderlecht
Royal Sporting Club Anderlecht, usually known as Anderlecht or RSCA , is a Belgian professional football club based in Anderlecht in the Brussels Capital Region. Anderlecht plays in the Belgian Pro League and is the most successful Belgian football team in European competitions as well as in the...
.
In summer 2010 Scottish Premier League club Celtic
Celtic F.C.
Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the...
attempted to sign the player but Beerschot AC did not allow him to leave. Russian Club CSKA Moscow
CSKA Moscow
CSKA Moscow is a major Russian sports club based in Moscow. It is popularly referred to in the West as "Red Army" or "the Red Army team" because during the Soviet era, it was a part of the Armed Forces sports society, which in turn was associated with the Soviet Army...
also attempted to sign him.
He scored his first goal for Beerschot AC 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
K.V. Kortrijk
Koninklijke Voetbalclub Kortrijk is a Belgian professional football club based in Kortrijk, West Flanders. They have been playing in the Belgian Pro League since the 2008-09 season, and they achieved they best ranking ever during the 2009-10 season, finishing 4th after the play-offs...
.
Celtic
On 9 July 2011, Wanyama officially completed a £900,000 move to Celtic signing a four-year contract, becoming the first ever Kenyan to play for Celtic. He chose 67 as his squad number to honour Celtic's 1967 European Cup winning teamLisbon Lions
The Lisbon Lions is the nickname given to the Celtic team that won the European Cup at the Estádio Nacional in Lisbon, Portugal on 25 May 1967, defeating Internazionale 2–1. All the members of this team were born within 30 miles of Glasgow, Scotland. Celtic's style was the antithesis of the...
. Wanyama made his Celtic debut in a 1-0 loss to St. Johnstone on 21 August 2011. He played in central defence rather than his favoured midfield role. He came on as a late substitute in a 4–0 win over Motherwell
Motherwell F.C.
Motherwell Football & Athletic Club are a Scottish professional football club based in Motherwell, North Lanarkshire. The club compete in the Scottish Premier League and are one of only seven teams to have remained in this league since it was founded in 1998...
, and then played for the whole second half in a 2–0 Scottish League Cup
Scottish League Cup
The Scottish League Cup is a football competition open to all Scottish Football League and Scottish Premier League clubs. At present it is also known as the Scottish Communities League Cup owing to the sponsorship deal in place with the Scottish Government. In the past it has been sponsored by...
win over Ross County
Ross County F.C.
Ross County Football Club are a Scottish professional football team from the town of Dingwall, Ross and Cromarty. Founded in 1929 they currently compete in the Scottish Football League First Division and play their home matches at Victoria Park. Prior to the 1994–95 season they played in the...
. On 29 September, he started in Celtic's 1–1 draw with Italian team Udinese
Udinese Calcio
Udinese Calcio is an Italian football club based in Udine, Friuli-Venezia Giulia, and currently plays in the Serie A. Founded in 1896, Udinese is the second oldest club in the Serie A, after Genoa....
. This was his first European match for the club.
International career
Wanyama made his debut for the Kenyan national teamKenya national football team
The Kenya national football team, nicknamed the Harambee Stars, is the national team of Kenya and is controlled by Football Kenya Limited, the governing body of football in Kenya. They have never qualified for the World Cup finals.-History:...
in May 2007, aged just 15 in a friendly against Nigeria
Nigeria national football team
The Nigeria national football team, nicknamed the Super Eagles or Green Eagles, is the national team of Nigeria and is controlled by the Nigeria Football Federation . The team has ranked as high as 5th in the FIFA World Rankings, in April 1994...
. However, it was not an official FIFA licensed friendly, so does not count towards official international caps.
Wanyama currently has 13 international caps, scoring one goal. He also played in all six of Kenya's FIFA World Cup 2010 qualifiers.
Career statistics
| Club | Season | League | Cup | League Cup | Europe | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Beerschot AC | 2008–09 | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | – | – | – | 1 | 0 |
| 2009–10 | 19 | 0 | 1 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 20 | 0 | |
| 2010–11 | 30 | 2 | 4 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 34 | 2 | |
| Total | 50 | 2 | 5 | 0 | – | – | – | – | 55 | 2 | |
| Celtic Celtic F.C. Celtic Football Club is a Scottish football club based in the Parkhead area of Glasgow, which currently plays in the Scottish Premier League. The club was established in 1887, and played its first game in 1888. Celtic have won the Scottish League Championship on 42 occasions, most recently in the... |
|||||||||||
| 2011–12 2011–12 Scottish Premier League The 2011–12 Scottish Premier League is the fourteenth season of the Scottish Premier League, the highest division of Scottish football, since its inception in 1998. The season started on 23 July 2011.... |
10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 16 | 0 | |
| Total | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 16 | 0 | |
| Career Total | 60 | 2 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 71 | 2 | |
Personal life
Wanyama comes from a very sporting family, his brother is Real Sociedad midfielder McDonald MarigaMcDonald Mariga
McDonald Mariga Wanyama is a Kenyan footballer player who plays for Real Sociedad on loan from Inter Milan. Mariga made history as the first Kenyan footballer to play in the UEFA Champions League on 16 March 2010.-Early career:...
, his father Noah Wanyama was a former footballer for AFC Leopards in the 1980s and his sister is a professional Basketball player in Kenya. He is managed by ExtraTime S.L.
Rob Moore (South African Entrepreneur)
Rob Moore is a South African entrepreneur, who founded Touchline Media and ExtraTime S.L. Moore currently heads the ExtraTime S.L, founded in 2003...
and has a boot sponsorship deal with Nike
Nike, Inc.
Nike, Inc. is a major publicly traded sportswear and equipment supplier based in the United States. The company is headquartered near Beaverton, Oregon, which is part of the Portland metropolitan area...
.