Nairobi’s football wonder boy victor Wanyama hopes to get a house in the English countryside away from the hectic urban life in the famous port city of Southampton.
Big Vic, as he was nicknamed by his Celtic fans, made history last month becoming the first Kenyan to play in the English Premier League when he joined Southampton FC.
Sources told The Nairobian that the star is currently living in a plush five-bedroom apartment in Southampton and is settling well in the city. He also enjoys the services of a top-notch chef.
However, in what may be a signal of his future plans, the Sh1.6 billion signing told British newspaper the Daily Mail last week that he is looking for a home in a village near the famous River Itchen.
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“It’s peaceful. I like to watch the boats sailing out into the Channel,” said the man the newspaper rightly describes as Kenya’s “national treasure”.
The footballer is known to enjoy a simple life without the showing off associated with premier league millionaires.
The 45-km river in Hampshire, meanders through breathtaking scenery and is said to be one of the world’s top water bodies for fly-fishing. Significantly, River Itchen also passes near St Mary’s Stadium, the home ground of Southampton FC, where the Nairobi boy buoys the midfield.
Notable nearby villages along its course include Cheriton, Tichborne, Avington, Itchen, Easton, Twyford, Shawford and Bishopstoke. Some of the prime property in the area range from at least Sh50 million to more than Sh200 million.
But as he considers house-hunting in future, the megastar says he is settling well in Southampton.
“It’s nice here. My motto is always to do better… I have belief that I can realise dreams here,” he told Daily Mail, adding that he speaks to his mother everyday on the phone and she plans to visit soon.
The newspaper says Big Vic is popular in Britain for making legendary music star Rod Stewart cry in the stands at Celtic after the Kenyan scored against Barcelona last November in a famous 2-1 win.
The best selling artiste is a fan of the Glasgow club.“That was a great night. Rod was hugging us all. It was great to meet him. Celtic fans are special. It meant a lot to him, like it did to all of us. It was probably the highlight of my time at Celtic. To score against a team like that with Lionel Messi and everyone, and to win. I didn’t celebrate too hard but it was a good night,” he recalled during the recent Daily Mail interview.
The Nairobi boy says he is up to the challenge of the EPL and may be, according to the Daily Mail, expected to combine “silk and steel” under inspirational coach Mauricio Pochettino, who is a former Argentina defender.
“I like a physical challenge,” he told the newspaper. “But every week the Premier League will throw me a new challenge and that is to get better. It is the most competitive league and I’m excited about what I am getting into. I want to show I can make a big impact but not just by being physical. I think that by competing for Celtic in Europe against teams such as Barcelona, Benfica and Juventus I have shown there’s more to my game than that.”
In March our boy shared exclusive pictures of his house in Glasgow with The Nairobian and readers will no doubt look forward to having another peek at his new pad.
