The Kenyan midfielder, who signed for Tottenham Hotspur earlier this summer, spent a very successful two-year spell at Parkhead.
Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Victor Wanyama has revealed to the Guardian that he grew up in Kenya supporting Celtic, and admitted that he was inspired upon his arrival by their 1967 European Cup triumph.
Wanyama joined the Bhoys in 2011 from Belgian side Beerschot and immediately endeared himself to the Parkhead faithful by choosing the number 67.
That was a fairly obvious reference to the club’s greatest moment, the 1967 European Cup triumph in which Jock Stein’s ‘Lisbon Lions’ defeated Italian giants Inter Milan.
Whilst Wanyama, now at Tottenham Hotspur after three years with Southampton, admits that he did some research into the Bhoys’ history upon signing for the club, he revealed that he had been supporting the Scottish giants ever since he was a young boy in his native Kenya.
The 25-year-old told the Guardian: “I was a fan of Celtic. My brother had one of their jerseys and when he outgrew it, I took it.
“Even when I was very young, before I knew about the Scottish league and Celtic, I would see a lot people wearing the green and white, and going to the pub in Kenya. Celtic have fans everywhere and they have a massive fan base in Kenya.
“When I signed for the club, I already knew about their history but I did a lot of research. The story of how they beat Inter to win the European Cup in Lisbon appealed to me and I decided to get the number 67.”
Wanyama proved to be a big success at Celtic, becoming a popular player for his combative and energetic displays in the centre of midfield.
He won the SPL Young Player of the Year award in his second and final season at the club after an impressive season which included scoring the opening goal in the famous 2-1 win over Barcelona in the Champions League.
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