Victor Wanyama pledges future to Celtic

Celtic midfielder Victor Wanyama insists he is not looking to leave the club after his recent spell of eye-catching displays.

The 20-year-old has produced some powerful displays in recent weeks after settling in following his summer move from Germinal Beerschot in Belgium.

The Kenyan, who cost Celtic almost £1million, scored the second goal of his Parkhead career during yesterday’s 3-0 win over Dunfermline, which kept Neil Lennon’s men at the top of the Clydesdale Bank Premier League.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Wanyama, who volleyed home Charlie Mulgrew’s deep free-kick, said: “Why would I be thinking of leaving? This is my home.

“I am very happy here, I only came in the summer and I am enjoying my football and my life.

“I have worked very hard to learn the pace of the game in Scotland and to settle in, and I feel that is showing on the pitch.

“Celtic is a huge club and I knew that before I came here.

“I am really enjoying it, the fans have been very good to me and the club has been very good to me.”

Lennon has been thrilled with the impact made by Wanyama, whose form should help lessen the blow of Beram Kayal’s ankle injury, which is expected to keep him out during the whole of January.

“He has been terrific,” Lennon said. “He has got real presence.

“I didn’t think he passed the ball as well as he could against Dunfermline at times, but he gets the ball back for us very, very well.

“He is composed and physically a real athlete. Again, he has weighed in with a goal, which I’m thrilled about.”

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Celtic now look to carry on their SPL form, which has seen them win 10 games in a row, into the Scottish Cup.

They begin their defence of the trophy away against Peterhead, who currently sit second bottom of the Irn-Bru Third Division, and Lennon will assess what team he puts out over the coming days.

“It’s something we’ll have to think about,” Lennon said.

“Gary Hooper was feeling his groin before the game and we gave him an hour. Adam Matthews is feeling his thigh a bit. We’ll have to see how the boys are.

“We’ve got a strong squad, but we’ll not take the game lightly because, for Peterhead, it’s their cup final.

“We won the trophy last year and we want to win it again. Obviously, momentum is very, very important at this stage of this run.”