• Big Vic comes from a sports family, notching several firsts and highs in his own right
• In an exclusive interview with the Star from Canada, he recounted his glittering career
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The English Premier League is a great source of passion for Kenyan football fans, who have a particular fondness for Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea.
The energy of exuberant football fans fervently cheering their favourite EPL clubs rents the air on weekends, from upscale pubs in the affluent suburbs to seedy eateries in shadowy alleys.
Mondays were long thought to be dull days after the wild and exciting weekend breaks. But the typical blues associated with the day have dissipated as EPL zealots eagerly head back to work to relive the league's enthralling highlights.
Strangely, amid the excitement, only one player from the dominant East African sports nation has proven his mettle in the world's most lucrative football league.
Born on June 25, 1991, Victor Wanyama, also called Big Vic, hails from a lineage of gifted athletes.
"The Wanyamas are athletes by trade. Noah Wanyama, my father, was a winger for the Kenyan national team and AFC Leopards," Wanyama said.
"My brothers William, Sylvester and McDonald Mariga, were all football players."
Mariga rose to international limelight after clinching the coveted European Champions League title with Italian giants Inter Milan in 2010.
"My sister Mercy is a top basketball player, and my mother Mildred served as Kenya Netball Federation chairperson."
RISING THROUGH RANKS
Big Vic is not your run-of-the-mill player. The bulky and hard-tackling defensive midfielder wrote a new chapter in history after securing a lush deal with English sides, Tottenham Hotspur and Southampton.
After sitting for his KCPE exam, Wanyama went to Kamukunji High School, which was well-known for its football team's success.
He had a three-year stint with JMJ Academy after completing high school before he joined Kenyan Premier League giants AFC Leopards. He would later secure a transfer to Nairobi City Stars.
Wanyama, currently plying his trade for FC Montreal in Canada, is in his twilight years after an incredible career spanning almost two decades.
Stardom did not come overnight for Wanyama. He has steadily risen through the ranks.
"Before joining AFC Leopards in July 2006, where I spent a season, I turned out for Nairobi City Stars (formerly World Hope FC), a team based in the sprawling Kawangware slums," he said.
"In July 2007, I ventured into professional football and sought greener pastures in Europe, making my debut for the 2007-08 season with the Helsingborg Under-21 in Sweden.
"I briefly returned home after my elder brother McDonald left Helsingborg to join Serie A side Parma in 2008. I later joined Beerschot in Belgium following fruitful trials."
In the summer of 2008, Wanyama signed a four-year contract with Beerschot AC following a fruitful trial. The end of the 2008–09 season saw him make his League debut. But following a violent tackle on Anderlecht's Matías Suárez in September 2009, he was fined €100 and suspended for three matches.
Beerschot prevented Wanyama from leaving when Celtic attempted to sign him in the summer of 2010. The Russian team CSKA Moscow made an unsuccessful attempt to sign him too.
He eventually penned a deal with the Scottish giants. In July 2011, he inked a 900,000-pound deal with Celtic, the dominant Scottish team. He made nine assists and scored 13 goals in 91 games for the Scottish champions, including a strong header against FC Barcelona in the 2012 Uefa Champions League group stages.
On November 7, 2012, Wanyama scored the opening goal in Celtic's 2-1 victory over Barcelona, making history as the first Kenyan player to score in the UEFA Champions League.
During his formative years, Wanyama was a fan of Celtic FC and would watch their games from a nearby pub called Kibera Celtic, named after the Scottish giants.
Wanyama transited to the English Premier League, the most-watched football league in the world, where he was the first Kenyan player. In July 2013, the two-time Scottish champion — who cost Sh1.7 billion — arrived at Southampton.
MOST EXPENSIVE PLAYER
Wanyama became the most expensive player sold by a Scottish club when he moved to Premier League club Southampton on July 11, 2013 for a fee of £12.5 million.
He joined Southampton's Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur in the summer of 2016 and remained there until March 2020, when he signed a contract with Montreal Impact, a Major League Soccer team.
Reflecting on his time at Spurs, Wanyama regretted not being able to win a trophy with what was perhaps Tottenham Hotspur's best team in recent memory.
He decried the lost chance to win trophies, especially in the 2015–16 and 2016–17 seasons when they nearly won the Premier League title but were eventually surpassed by Chelsea and Leicester City.
The Spurs team from 2016 to 2019 was considered one of the best in the Premier League under Mauricio Pochettino's direction.
Prominent players on the squad included Christian Eriksen, Heung-Min Son, Jan Vertonghen, Danny Rose, Hugo Lloris, Harry Kane and Toby Alderweireld.
The team came within a whisker of winning major titles thanks to their talent and potential. They finished third in the 2015–16 season, when Leicester City won the league, and then came in second the next year, losing out to Chelsea.
"Not winning a major trophy is the only thing I regret from that era," Wanyama said.
"We did not complete the task, despite having all the necessary tools. Mauricio was an excellent coach and we had a fantastic team. We demonstrated our superiority over everyone.
"We did not lose a single home game during the 2016–17 season, as I recall. That is how excellent our group was."
Wanyama praised former Tottenham teammate Harry Kane, calling him the best striker he has ever played with.
"Harry’s finishing is second to none. You saw it in training; he is so clinical," he said.
"I have not seen another striker like him. He's also a very professional player. He behaves properly at all times. His runs, manoeuvres and understanding of the game are excellent."
"Under Mauricio Pochettino and Ronald Koeman, I played for the Saints alongside players like Sadio Mane, Toby Alderweireld and Nathaniel Clyne, before departing for Tottenham Spurs in July 2016."
He excelled under Pochettino in the seasons 2016-2017 and 2017-18, before injuries limited his playing time in the 2018-19 season.
During the 2019-20 season, Portuguese manager Jose Mourinho allotted him nine minutes. He played in 194 games for the two English teams, appearing in Europa and the Uefa Champions League while at Tottenham.
On March 3, 2020, he signed a free transfer to Major League Soccer. Wanyama has played 89 matches for Montreal. Since 2007, his international Kenyan cap has been 64.
Unknown to many, Wanyama is the highest-paid player at CF Montreal, according to the most recent edition of the MLS Salary Guide, published on October 17 by the MLS Players Association.
He is the 19th-highest-paid player in the Major League Soccer (MLS), with a base salary of $2.4 million (Sh290.8m) a year and guaranteed pay of $3,091,667 (Sh374.7m).
Wanyama's net worth is estimated to be more than Sh2.4 billion by the sports salary database.
Wanyama declared in October 2022 that he would not extend his contract with CF Montréal. But he was formally re-signed by the Canadian team in January 2023, agreeing to a fresh two-year deal.
Wanyama's current stay in Canada has also left a lasting impression on him thanks to the close-knit community among players and the warm welcome in Montreal.
He is grateful for the club's unity and the thrill of performing for ardent supporters.
"The atmosphere here is excellent. I've received immense support since I arrived," he said.
Wanyama said Canadian football received a major boost after their men's team qualified for the Fifa World Cup in 2022.
He reckons co-hosting the premier quadrennial global showpiece in 2026 will accelerate this momentum even more.
“They will be encouraged to play more, put in more effort and strive for the same goals."
He said the event will drastically alter Canadian football's terrain.
"It can strengthen the belief that they can be on the same stage one day."
Since making his international debut for Kenya in May 2007 at 15, Wanyama has amassed more than 60 caps for the national team.
He announced his retirement from international football in September 2021.
EYING COACHING CAREER
The declining standards of Kenyan football is not lost on Wanyama. He blames this on bad politics and mismanagement.
“What is required is a complete overhaul, with appropriate frameworks in place. Kenya possesses incredible talent that is not yet widely recognised," he said.
Besides football, Wanyama has ventured into other enterprises.
"I own real estate. I enjoy playing pool with my friends as well," Wanyama said.
"My favourite activity is going to children's homes, where I play and give them treats. I make sure to do that each month anytime I'm around."
With his remarkable two-decade playing career ending soon, Wanyama has begun contemplating a career as a coach. He said he would like to share the knowledge he has accumulated from working with numerous renowned coaches throughout his career.
“I think I will become a coach. I’ve worked with some great coaches. I try to absorb everything by observing how they view the game. I believe I have what it required to be a good manager,” he said.
His ambition stems from a burning urge to learn and improve in the game.
"Learning new things is what keeps me going. Nobody is a football expert; it is a learning game. My goal is to strive to be the best version of myself."
With an emphasis on sports, education, health, the environment and wildlife, the 33-year-old manages the Victor Wanyama Foundation.
Additionally, he is building a top-notch academy in Busia county. 2015 saw him participate in creating Mdudu Boy, a short film about football in Kenya, written and directed by actress Ella Smith.
He has advice for budding footballers keen to follow in his footsteps.
"They ought to prioritise God in all they do. In addition, they must embrace virtues like self-control, concentration and diligence," Wanyama said.
"On a lighter note, they ought to consume a lot of bread."