The Big Interview with England-based Kenyan striker Jonathan Wafula

26-year old Jonathan Wafula is relatively unknown in Kenyan football circles. The striker, who is currently in the books of English sixth-tier side Guiseley AFC, was born and brought up in Kenya but moved to England with his family at the age of 10.

He has played for several lower-tier clubs in England and is now fully settled at Guiseley AFC where he hopes to establish himself, rise up the ranks, and hopefully play at the highest level. He also looks forward to representing the Kenyan National team, Harambee Stars in the near future.

Mozzart Sport caught up with him recently for a candid One-On-One interview.

How has the season been so far for you at Guiseley? 

The season has been very tough so far as I have had recurring hamstring injuries from preseason which hindered my progress but hopefully, once we have everyone fit as a team we will start to move up the table and achieve our goals.

You are relatively unknown in Kenya. How was your early upbringing and when did you move to the UK? 

I was born in Kiambu and lived in Nairobi for most of my childhood and spent holidays with my grandparents in Bungoma. I attended Lugulu Boarding School before moving to the UK in 2004. 

You are 26 and playing in a lower-tier league. Jamie Vardy broke the barriers by playing for England and in the EPL despite not starting early. Is this the kind of person you look at and get inspiration from? 

I look at players like himself and Michail Antonio who worked their way up and believe if I apply myself correctly and work hard, I am capable of reaching those heights. 

Tell us more about your career journey

I initially started playing when I moved to England as a hobby in the Sunday league for a local team called Tansley FC while I was still in secondary school. I attended college after leaving secondary school and was approached by Chesterfield FC to train with the youth team after we played against them in a college game. From that point, I was offered to join the youth team full time and went on to be offered a first-team contract in 2012 which despite making my debut and being on the fringes, ended in 2013.

At that point, I decided to go to university but still played locally and joined Worksop Town a year later before moving on to Shaw Lane. I started the 2017-18 season at Gainsborough Trinity but by February 2018 I had signed for Boston United with my former Shaw Lane Boss Craig Elliot. After 2 seasons at Boston, I decided to take on a new challenge and go to Guiseley FC where I have scored 4 goals in 12 games. I am aiming for 20 goals for the season. 

Who would you say has played a big role so far in your career? 

It has to be my previous manager Craig Elliot. He gave me a chance with his team when no one else did and believed in my ability. We went on to win that league and  I ended up coming up the leagues' thanks to his belief in me. Hopefully, I can keep working hard and keep moving up.

Who is your role model and why? 

 My role model without a doubt is my mother. Without her, I wouldn’t be the man I am today and I wouldn’t have the opportunities I have in my life. She sacrificed so much to offer us the best options and putting us in a position to be the most successful. I am eternally grateful to her and aim to make her proud by working hard and never giving up on my dreams. 

Where do you see yourself say in the next five years? 

 I see myself rising up in the leagues and being in contention for the Kenyan national team. Even though playing part-time and working can be difficult at times, I aim to work hard and get myself into full-time football and achieve my goals of playing as high up the football tier as possible.

Speaking of working and being a part-time footballer, you are an Automotive Engineer - tell us more about this

After my contract expired with chesterfield I decided to explore my educational interests in engineering. I studied for a total of 4 years at Sheffield Hallam University and graduated in 2019. After graduating I went on to work as a quality engineer for a Global Automotive company. Even though I enjoy this side of my career, I am still very focused on going into the professional football world fully in the near future.

 Do you visit Kenya often? What memories do you have of the country and what do you like most about Kenya? 

 Unfortunately, I have not been back home for a long time due to the football season and work commitments. My aim was to come back on two occasions last year but the flights were canceled due to Covid but once everything is clear, I aim to come back and spend a lot of time there in the future, especially to look at the development of the local league.

My best memories are spending time with my grandparents and cousins in Bungoma. Even though my mum still makes a lot of traditional food, I miss the simplicity of home and being close to family. 

You mentioned you are eager to play for the Kenyan National team, tell us more about that

would be a great honour to one day represent my country and aim to work as hard as possible to make this dream a reality. This is on my list of goals and would be a very proud moment for myself and my family in Kenya. 

Your parting shot?

 Even though I am currently playing in the lower tiers, the standard of football here in the national league is very good. With this opportunity and platform, I have been blessed with, I aim to reach the peak of my performances soon and be able to achieve my goals.