Victor Wanyama celebrates a goal for Tottenham. PHOTO/Getty Images
NAIROBI, Kenya, Apr 28 – Among local football fans, the greatest rivalry as far as the English Premier League is concerned has always between Arsenal and Manchester United.
Kenya’s biggest football export, Victor Wanyama, who also skippers the national team Harambee Stars has revealed that he isn’t very far from such rivalry despite currently playing for Tottenham Hotspur, saying he supported Manchester United as a kid.
“When I was young playing in the streets with my friends, I used to watch a lot of games on TV. I used to watch the English Premier League. I loved it and I wanted to play in the EPL so bad since I was young.”
“Growing up I was a Manchester United fan, I used to love how they play and I loved some of the players there,” Wanyama revealed in an interview with CNN.
The burly midfielder who has been a cog in the Tottenham side this season since signing from Southampton FC in a 12-million-pound move has also revealed he looked up to Roy Keane when he began his football journey and has underscored his desire to meet him in person some day.
Mugubi, as he is now fondly referred as back home is expected to play another sterling role on Sunday evening when his Spurs side takes on Arsenal in the North London derby, a match that will be crucial in their outside bid to be crowned EPL champions.
“Everyone is expecting a tough game; it will be a great game for both teams. It is a game that always has a great atmosphere and it will be a nice game to play. This is one of the biggest games of the season and we have to go there and do our best,” the midfielder further states in the interview>
Spurs are four points behind leaders Chelsea and a win against Arsenal who have been on a resurgence coupled with a loss by Chelsea at the hands of Everton will inch them closer to a first EPL title since 1961.
Already, Spurs on 74 points have surpassed their best ever points haul in a season.
“Everything is possible we just have to take game by game and see what will come of it at the end of the season,” an optimistic Wanyama says.
The midfielder at the same time went on to reveal his strong religious beliefs, saying his faith is all-encompassing and helps him as a man and as a footballer.
“Sometimes it fills me up. Not only mentally, but physically as well. You feel the spirit. It’s important to have faith and it also plays a big part in my career,” Wanyama told CNN.
He also revealed that during his three seasons at Southampton, one of many clubs providing spiritual support to their players, he would often visit the club’s chaplain to talk about faith and football.
“We would talk about how you can have the relationship [between faith and football] and talk about how football can change people,” he said.
