Victor Wanyama reveals injury that ravaged his career
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Reading Time: 2min | Wed. 06.05.26. | 13:09
From that point, the knee problem continued to limit him, gradually shaping the final years of a career that once saw him dominate midfields at the highest level.
Former Harambee Stars captain Victor Wanyama has opened up on the niggly knee injury that ultimately changed the course of his career and led to his retirement earlier this year.
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The 34-year-old admits that a cartilage defect suffered while at Tottenham Hotspur became the defining turning point, separating the peak of his career from the difficult years that followed.
The injury occurred back in August 2017 during a 2-1 defeat to Chelsea at Wembley Stadium. At the time, he was coming off what he considers his best season, playing a key role in Spurs’ 2016-17 campaign under Mauricio Pochettino, where they went unbeaten at home and pushed Antonio Conte’s Chelsea in the title race.
“I was cruising, but after that game, everything changed. When I came off, my knee felt so stiff I could barely move. That is when they diagnosed the cartilage defect,” Wanyama said in an interview with The Athletic.
He describes that match as a clear before-and-after moment in his career.
“I can say there was a before and after. Before the injury, I was at my best. After, it restricted me. I had to change my game completely.”
The injury forced him into a more cautious approach that affected his natural style of play.
“I could not go into tackles fully. I was always thinking about staying fit for the next game. Sometimes I had to skip matches, miss training, ice the knee constantly, and focus on rehab. I could not play back-to-back games. It was a really tough period.”
Despite spending over four months out, Wanyama returned in early 2018 and produced a memorable moment with a powerful long-range goal in a 2-2 draw against Liverpool, but the damage had already been done.
From that point, the knee problem continued to limit him, gradually shaping the final years of a career that once saw him dominate midfields at the highest level.
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