Victor Wanyama is arguably Kenya’s most accomplished footballer of the current generation.
He famously featured in the English Premier League (EPL) for Southampton and Tottenham, a feat that has never been achieved by any other Kenyan.
This success, however, did not come by fluke, and neither was it a walk in the park.
After clearing High School at Nairobi's Kamukunji, known as a breeding base for talent, Wanyama featured for AFC Leopards for six months before he landed an invitation by his brother Mariga to travel to Sweden.
Wanyama held trial sessions with Helsingborgs IF, but had to come back home when his brother moved to Italy. Back home, he was picked up by JMJ Academy which had links with clubs in Belgium.
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It is JMJ, under the tutelage of renowned player agent Jean Marie Juliana, that Wanyama made his breakthrough. He featured for JMJ for six months after which he travelled to Belgium to join Anderlecht’s Youth team.
In Belgium, he had to live with a family there as he waited patiently for the forthcoming professional contract.
Game time did not come easy at Anderlecht, and he had to move to Germinal Beerschot, which also featured in the Belgian top tier league.
It was at Beerschot that he signed his first professional contract. He was also scouted by CSKA Moscow while at the club after impressing in the Belgian league but opted to join Celtic in Scotland.
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Wanyama had memorable moments in Scotland, among them a goal against Spanish giants Barcelona. These exploits earned him a coveted place in the English Premier League when he was snapped up by Southampton.
He did well under coach Mauricio Pochettino at Soton, and the latter would pull him along to Tottenham, where Wanyama also had memorable moments.
Currently, Wanyama is attached to Major League Soccer side Montreal Impact, based in Canada. He reportedly earns weekly wages and match bonuses of Ksh343 million per year.
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