Inside Victor Wanyama’s quest for coaching badges

The roar of the crowd may have faded, but for former Harambee captain Victor Wanyama, the silence of retirement was never going to last long after officially transitioning from his playing career to the tactical world of football management.

‎"Things like this at this age gives you motivation to even work hard and get what you have been yearning for," Victor Wanyama said in a recent interview with Citizen TV.

‎Wanyama is currently in the middle of a rigorous transition, swapping his jersey for a tactical board. Having already secured his UEFA 'B' coaching license, Wanyama is preparing for a high stakes return to London - not to face a Premier League giant - but to sit for his UEFA 'A' license exams.

I have exams for the UEFA 'A' License next month. I have done my UEFA 'B' and would love to start my coaching journey in Scotland with Celtic," he said of the club where he first made his name before swapping the Scottish league for Southampton FC in the summer of 2013.

‎The shift to coaching isn’t magic but a result of years spent observing the masters of the craft. He points to world class managers like Mauricio Pochettino and Ronald Koeman – men who shaped his career at one point or the other - as blueprints for his own style. He also credits his final coach at CF Montreal Wilfried Nancy, for showing him how a coach can grow alongside a club and write their own rosy chapter.

‎ "I hope one day I can start with Scotland at Celtic," he shares with a smile. Though he is eager to lead the dreamers, he is practical about the journey, acknowledging that he must first get some experience before taking on a major responsibility.

‎ To Wanyama, the most important chapter is his role as a mentor. As the Chapa Dimba tournament ambassador, he is helping provide the kind of world exposure and experience that was once a distant dream for Kenyan youth.

‎He also recalls the impact of the tournament's first season, where winning players travelled to London to witness the inner workings of a club like Spurs, an experience Wanyama knows can change life.

‎ "Work hard and you never know who is watching,” he says, urging young dreamers following his footsteps to be rooted in humility.