Wanyama ready to blaze new trail with Spurs

Victor Wanyama is full of optimism after reuniting with Mauricio Pochettino at White Hart Lane.

The tenacious central midfielder has broken new ground on more than one occasion during his career so far, becoming the first Kenyan player to score in the Champions League during his stint at Celtic between 2011-13 and subsequently becoming the first man from his country to grace the Premier League when Mauricio took him to Southampton in July, 2013.

Now, excited by the progress we’re making as a Club, the high-octane grafter believes his move to Spurs can be the catalyst for even greater feats to be reached on the pitch.

“It feels really good to be here and I’m really happy to get this chance,” said Victor, who turns 25 on Saturday. “It’s a good step for me and I think this is where I can achieve bigger things now.

“You can see the talent here and also you can see the manager. I think Spurs have made a giant step, they’ve always improved since the manager arrived here and I think the Club can only get better, so hopefully there are good things ahead.

“It was easy for me to come here because I know how the manager is, I know he likes to work hard and he improves players as well. I thought it was a good opportunity for me to come here and I think I can improve as a player here.

“Nothing is impossible if you work hard. If we can achieve winning the Premier League then that would be my dream. That’s my target, to win the Premier League or any trophy with the club.”

Victor’s enthusiasm over his arrival in North London is boundless. Not only is he relishing the domestic challenges that lie ahead, he’s also keen on the prospect of returning to action in the Champions League – a competition that represents something of a promised land for the Kenyan international captain.

Indeed, the man from Nairobi, who comes from a large sporting family, famously scored against Barcelona during Celtic’s victory over the Catalan giants in November, 2012, and even saw his older brother, McDonald Mariga, win the tournament with Inter Milan in 2010.

With that in mind, it’s no surprise that Victor feels a distinct affinity with Europe’s top table.

“The Champions League is a big stage – it’s where every player dreams of playing,” he explained. “It’s all about the big teams of Europe meeting each other and they’re just great nights.

“Watching my brother winning the Champions League was really good. That was always in my head, that one day I want to achieve what he has achieved.

“Here at Spurs, playing against teams like Barca and Real Madrid – it’s only going to make us better and if you brush shoulders with the world’s best players then nothing is impossible. I think we will have some great nights for the fans and the players and hopefully we can go far in the competition.”

An approachable individual always ready to share a smile, Victor is understandably keen to strike up a good relationship with the Spurs faithful when Premier League football returns to N17 in August.

“I’ve played at the Lane a few times and it’s a tough place to come from the opposition side,” he added. “Now being a Spurs player, it’s going to be great walking out of the tunnel and seeing the home fans cheering on the team so I’m looking forward to it. From outside you can see that the Club has a great fan base and that’s one of the things that attracted me here.”

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