Former Kenya national team captain Victor Wanyama has announced his retirement from professional football at the age of 34, closing a career that spanned nearly two decades.
Wanyama, the first Kenyan to play in the English Premier League, began his Premier League journey when he joined Southampton from Scottish giants Celtic for a reported £12.5 million in July 2013.
During his time with the Saints, he made 85 appearances, scoring four goals, before moving to fellow Premier League side Tottenham Hotspur in June 2016 for £11 million.
“Today I announce my retirement from football,” Wanyama wrote on X late Friday. “Four different countries, six different clubs, a boy from Muthurwa with a big dream, carrying a nation’s pride everytime I stepped onto the pitch.”
On the international stage, Wanyama earned 64 caps for Kenya, serving as captain of the Harambee Stars until September 2021, when he stepped down after being overlooked during the country’s unsuccessful 2022 World Cup qualification campaign.
He was later approached by current coach Benni McCarthy ahead of the African Nations Championships held in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda in August 2025, but chose not to return to the team.
Wanyama’s club journey also saw him feature for Montreal Impact in the Canadian Major League Soccer before returning to Scotland in March 2025 to sign a short-term deal with Dunfermline Athletic, marking his final chapter in professional football.
