Victor Wanyama reveals reason for hanging up ‘decorated’ boots at 34

[p]The 34-year-old made the announcement in a heartfelt message on social media, saying he had lived his dream and thanked those who had supported him throughout his journey.[/p][p][b]“Today I announce my retirement from football,”[/b] explained Wanyama via a social media statement.[/p][p]The retirement of Wanyama, who left the East African nation for Europe in 2007 when he joined Helsingborg in Sweden, sparked mixed reactions from a section of stakeholders.[/p][p][b]While some felt the former Tottenham midfielder had made the right decision to retire, others opined he still had more years in his career to continue playing.[/b][/p][p]Wanyama, who won the Scottish Premiership title in his first season with Celtic, has shed light on why he made the decision, blaming it on a recurring knee injury for ‘walking away’ to avoid being stressed.[/p][h2]‘I had to go through pain’[/h2][p][b]“I’ve been managing it (injury) for some time, and it was time to walk away, not to stress anymore,”[/b] said Wanyama as quoted by the [i][b]Daily Mail[/b][/i].[/p][embed guid="727c6401-0540-41e6-8d1a-fe42e390ebe2" url="https://x.com/SkySportsNews/status/2041813867987165674" social-type="twitter" /][p]“I had to go through a lot of pain over the years because of the position I play and how I like to play, with physicality. Now I can’t wait to learn.”[/p][p]On whether he regrets retiring at an early age, Wanyama responded: [b]“I consider myself lucky to have managed my knee injury for six years before retiring, and I have absolutely no regrets.”[/b][/p][p]While confirming his retirement, Wanyama hinted at venturing into coaching. Asked if he will be ready to coach in Kenya or Africa, he said: [b]“Coaching in Kenya and Africa is not in my immediate plans.[/b][/p][p]“I’ve already spoken to clubs in London. I have my foundation here in Nairobi, where I continue to work with young people and train every day. I see working with the younger generation as the initial way forward.[/p][p][b]“My dream is to coach in Europe. That has to be my goal.”[/b][/p][p]At Spurs, Wanyama is remembered for his rocket of an equaliser in Tottenham’s 2-2 draw with Liverpool in 2018, which was voted the Premier League Goal of the Month.[/p][embed guid="4c2ab79f-3dd9-4066-ad23-2d1dac797370" url="https://x.com/CelticFC/status/2040056295730872418" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]Wanyama became the first-ever Kenyan player to score in the Champions League when he notched the first goal in Celtic’s 2-1 win over Barcelona in 2012.[/b][/p][p]In 2013, Wanyama moved to Southampton for £12.5 million, making him the most expensive player sold by a Scottish club at the time, surpassing the £9.5 million Russian club Spartak Moscow paid for Aiden McGeady in 2010.[/p][p]Wanyama became the captain of the Harambee Stars in 2013, and represented Kenya at the 2019 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) in Egypt.[/p][p]He earned more than 60 caps for Kenya since making his international debut in May 2007 at 15.[/p][image alt="Dennis Mabuka" id="009ee08a-c012-41bf-bdae-acba9770ea19" credit-line="Flashscore" guid="adf8b55b-5014-4f49-9846-d0bd1722b684" original-width="1200" original-height="381" /]