By GILBERT WANDERA
Kenya’s best football export and Celtic midfielder Victor Wanyama has bagged another prestigious award after being named Scottish Young Player of the Year on Monday night.
The award adds to his Celtic Young Player of the Year honour, which he bagged three weeks ago and completes a perfect season, besides boosting his value significantly ahead of the new transfer window.
It also comes at a time when Wanyama has bagged the Scottish Premier League title with Celtic for the second year in a row.
His highlight, however, was featuring in the UEFA Champions league and scoring against European giants Barcelona in a 2-1 win at the group stages. Despite eventually being knocked out of Europe’s top competition by Italian club, AC Milan, Wanyama will be happy with his overall performance and that of his club.
“I just wanted to try and have a good season to top my goals from last season. I only got 11 last season, which is poor, especially if compared to my previous seasons’ record. I had hoped I will get to 30 goals,” Wanyama told BBC Scotland after receiving his latest award.
Wanyama is also in line to bag the Scottish Cup when Celtic meets Hibs in the final on May 26 to complete a double for his club.
Wanyama made 49 appearances for Celtic. His fine form could not have been at a better time as the national team Harambee Stars is preparing to take on Nigeria in the June 5 World Cup qualifier in Nairobi.
In November last year, he was short-listed for the CAF most promising player award but finished third.
Wanyama joined Celtic two years ago from Belgian side Bierschott. Before, he played for Nairobi City Stars and AFC Leopards in the Kenyan Premier League.
His transfer fees to Bierschott was Sh55 million. His sterling season at Celtic sparked a lot of interest from top English sides like Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool, all said to be interested in signing him during the July transfer window.
But Celtic’s Neil Lennon has vowed to do everything in his power to keep the Kenyan midfielder at the club next season.
It remains to be seen whether Lennon will convince the soft-spoken Wanyama to stay at Celtic for another season and forfeit a one in a lifetime opportunity to play in the more popular English Premier League.
Wanyama is brother to Macdonald Mariga, who made history by becoming the first Kenyan to play in the Italian Serie ‘A’ when he was signed by Parma five years ago.
Mariga, who later moved to Inter-Milan when they won the UEFA champions league in 2010, is back at Parma but has been sidelined due to injury.
The two are sons of former Kenyan international Noah Wanyama.
It is certain they have taken after their father.
