Victor Wanyama Retires: Kenya's First EPL Star Hangs Up Boots

Former Kenya captain Victor Wanyama, the first Kenyan to play in the English Premier League, announced his retirement from football at age 34. The midfielder's nearly two-decade career included a £12.5 million move from Celtic to Southampton in July 2013, where he made 85 appearances and scored four goals before joining Tottenham for £11 million in June 2016.

Wanyama earned 64 caps for the Harambee Stars and stepped down as captain in September 2021 after being left out of Kenya's failed 2022 World Cup qualifying campaign. Coach Benni McCarthy recalled him for the 2025 African Nations Championships, but he declined to return. In March 2025, he briefly returned to Scotland with Championship club Dunfermline Athletic after a two-and-a-half-year stint with Montreal Impact in MLS.

For Nigerian football fans, Wanyama's journey matters as a blueprint for African talent reaching Europe's top leagues. His success—moving from a Kenyan debut at Sofapaka to the Premier League—mirrors pathways Nigerian players like Kanu and Okocha once paved. His quote, "a boy from Muthurwa with a big dream, carrying a nation's pride," resonates with Nigeria's own footballing ambitions.

The retirement closes the chapter on a pioneer who proved East African players could compete at the highest level. His career reminds us that with talent and opportunity, players from across the continent can become global icons.

SOURCE: https://www.channelstv.com/2026/04/04/former-kenya-captain-wanyama-retires-from-football/