Victor Wanyama expresses remorse over departing Tottenham without any silverware after five years in London

Former Kenya captain Victor Wanyama (33) has candidly expressed his disappointment over finishing his career at Tottenham Hotspur without securing a trophy with the Premier League outfit.

Wanyama made the move to Spurs on 23 June 2016, following an agreement between the North London side and Southampton for the transfer of the dynamic midfielder.

At that time, Tottenham was under the stewardship of manager Mauricio Pochettino, who had previously managed Wanyama during their time together at Southampton.

Known as the ‘Lion of Muthurwa’, Wanyama marked his home debut for Tottenham with a goal against Crystal Palace, scoring in the 82nd minute of a closely contested 1-0 league victory. This goal made him the 138th different player to find the net for the club, further extending their record for the most diverse goalscorers in a single club within the Premier League.

However, at the end of August 2019, Tottenham announced they had reached an agreement for Wanyama’s transfer to Club Brugge for £13 million. Concerns from the Kenyan midfielder about the move led to the deal falling through.

On 3 March 2020, Tottenham confirmed that they had agreed to a transfer with Major League Soccer club Montreal Impact (now known as CF Montreal), where he would join as a Designated Player. Wanyama parted ways with Spurs having made 69 appearances across all competitions, scoring six goals.

The last time Tottenham lifted a trophy was on 24 February 2008, when they triumphed 2-1 over Chelsea at Wembley in the League Cup, marking their fourth such victory, which has since been renamed from Carling Cup to the Carabao Cup.

A Wish to Win a Trophy for Tottenham

Wanyama, currently without a club after leaving Montreal on 1 January 2025 when his contract expired, reflected on the Spurs squad during his tenure, stating that everyone was keen to add silverware to the club’s trophy cabinet, but success eluded them.

“Unfortunately, there was one thing that we really wanted to achieve for the club, and that was to win a trophy, but we weren’t able to with our group,” Wanyama shared with Tottenham TV prior to the Premier League clash against Manchester United, which Spurs won 1-0 on Sunday, 16 February.

“I believe that with the current squad, the group they have now, they will accomplish something special for the team one day. During our time, we had a strong team, and we always sought to improve with every game. Every weekend, we went out determined to prove we could maintain our position at the top.”

“We aimed to show that Tottenham is a major club, competing fiercely every weekend and ensuring the club remained at the summit of the game. It was enjoyable; we had a lot of fun which made everything else fall into place.”

Returning to North London, Wanyama, who made his senior debut for Kenya in May 2007 at the age of just 15 in a friendly against Nigeria, said: “It feels amazing to be back in North London, seeing the stadium (London Stadium) again, reminiscing about the atmosphere, particularly during home matches, it’s a wonderful feeling, bringing back great memories.”

During his spell at Spurs, Wanyama established a strong midfield partnership with Belgian Mousa Dembele. Reflecting on their connection, Wanyama stated: “We shared a great bond, a solid connection; Mousa and I enjoyed what we were doing, complementing each other well. We miss those moments.”

Discussing his debut goal for Spurs, which came against Crystal Palace in a Premier League clash, Wanyama fondly recalled: “I remember that match at White Hart Lane; it was my first goal for the club, and it was a last-minute winner, which made it a special goal.”

Looking back on his final goal for Tottenham at White Hart Lane before the club relocated to Wembley Stadium and subsequently to London Stadium, Wanyama, who captained Kenya in 2013, shared: “This was against Manchester United, and we won 2-1. Both Harry Kane and I scored, making it a particularly memorable moment – the last game at the Lane.”

On his stunning strike against Liverpool, when asked about his thoughts as he approached the ball, Wanyama responded: “As I ran towards the ball, I thought it was rolling perfectly, almost begging for me to hit it hard. So, I struck it cleanly, and it ended up in the top corner.”

The equaliser against Liverpool, which made it 2-2, was later voted Goal of the Month in the Premier League. When asked if he often revisits that goal in his spare time, Wanyama replied: “I watch it frequently; it always seems to pop up on social media, so I can’t help but click on it and give it some love because it was a special goal.”

Wanyama continued: “On my way home, I bumped into Martin Tyler (the commentator of the Liverpool match) at the airport, and he praised me for the goal! I was delighted with his compliment; it made my day.”

Reflecting on scoring the final goal at White Hart Lane as Tottenham bid farewell to the iconic stadium, he expressed: “Scoring in the last match against a team like Manchester United was significant, especially as it was the last game at the Lane. Closing the venue with a goal is a memory that will stay with me, and it was a proud moment to finish with a win.”

While in Montreal, Wanyama made his competitive debut at Stade Olympique during the first leg of a CONCACAF Champions League quarter-final, where he was named in manager Thierry Henry’s starting XI. He assisted Saphir Taider — who was briefly his teammate at Southampton in 2014 — in a 1-2 loss to Honduran champions C.D. Olimpia. Later, he captained Montreal to a 1-0 victory over Toronto FC in the 2021 Canadian Championship Final.

In September 2021, following being repeatedly passed over for selection during the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers, Wanyama announced his retirement from international football, marking the conclusion of a 14-year international career that saw him earn 64 caps and score six goals for Kenya.