Hatem Ben Arfa
New member
First name Victor Mugabe
Last name Wanyama
Nationality Kenya
Date of birth 25 June 1991
Age 21
Country of birth Kenya
Position Defensive Midfielder
Height 188 cm
Weight 76 kg
Foot Left
Victor Mugabe Wanyama is a Kenyan footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder or a centre back for Scottish Premier League side Celtic and the Kenya national team.
Club career
Beerschot AC
After a successful trial, Wanyama signed for Beerschot AC on a four-year contract in summer 2008. 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 Suarez of Anderlecht.
In the summer of 2010 Scottish Premier League club Celtic attempted to sign Wanyama but Beerschot did not allow him to leave. Russian club CSKA Moscow also attempted to sign him, but they failed as well.
Wanyama scored his first goal for Beerschot 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.
Celtic
On 9 July 2011, Wanyama completed a £900,000 move to Celtic, who had failed to sign him a year earlier. He signed a four-year contract and in doing so became the first ever Kenyan to play in the SPL. Wanyama chose 67 as his squad number to honour the Lisbon Lions, Celtic's 1967 European Cup winning team. Wanyama made his Celtic league debut in a 1-0 loss to St. Johnstone on 21 August 2011. He played in central defence rather than his favoured central midfield role. He came on as a late substitute in a 4–0 win over Motherwell, and played for the whole second half in a 2–0 League Cup win over Ross County. On 29 September 2011, he started in Celtic's 1–1 draw with Italian team Udinese in the Europa League. This was his first European match for the club. On 10 December 2011, Wanyama scored his first goal for Celtic in a 1-0 win over Hearts at Celtic Park, a tremendous 25-yard strike which hit the top corner. His performances during December earned him the Scottish Premier League young player of the month award. He scored his second Celtic goal on 2 January 2012 in a 3-0 win against Dunfermline at East End Park. Wanyama scored in Celtic's 2-1 win against Dundee United at Celtic Park and in the 4-0 victory against Hearts at Tynecastle.
International career
Wanyama made his debut for the Kenyan national team in May 2007, aged just 15 in a friendly against Nigeria. He also played in all six of Kenya's 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifiers.
Style of play
Wanyama quickly became a fans favourite at Celtic due to his consistency. He is a robust midfielder who can also play in defence. Wanyama is able to pass the ball, hold up the play with his strength, tackle and has a general calmness on the ball.
