Victor Wanyama Opens Up on Tensions of Playing First-Ever EPL Match - ‘I Was Very Anxious’

Harambee Stars legend Victor Wanyama had a great career in the English Premier League but he admits starting out was not an easy experience.

Wanyama, the only Kenyan to have played in the English top flight, made a career-changing move from Scottish giants Celtic to Southampton in the summer of 2013 and hit the ground running.

He was thrust into the spotlight on the opening weekend as Southampton took on West Bromwich Albion at the Hawthorns and while it ended 1-0 in favour of Mauricio Pochettino’s side, Wanyama admits having butterflies in the stomach.

“My debut in the English Premiership was against West Bromwich away. Very tough place to go and also the fans make it very tough for opponents,” Wanyama shared of his first taste of the English top flight.

“I was also very anxious, first game in the EPL. I was looking forward to express myself in a good way so that I can show my performance to the fans and so that I can play well and also get noticed.

“I was happy, glad everything went well. We came out with the victory, 1-0 away, and that was the beginning of a great chapter away.”

Wanyama would go on to become one of the club’s best players, forming a formidable midfield partnership with Frenchman Morgan Schneiderlin, as the Saints went on to finish an impressive eighth.

With Pochettino leaving for Tottenham Hotspur in 2024 and Dutchman Ronaldo Koeman replacing him, Wanyama retained his place in the heart of midfield, with Southampton securing a seventh-place finish, their best-ever in the Premier League.

After three years in the English South Coast, Wanyama followed Pochettino to Tottenham in 2016, having made 97 appearances and scored four goals for Southampton, and he would also play 97 times for Spurs, netting seven goals, before leaving for MLS club CF Montreal in March 2020.