‘He loves pasta’ – Eriksen recalls what it was like playing with Wanyama at Spurs

Christian Eriksen has named his former Tottenham Hotspur teammate Victor Wanyama as the best African player he has ever played with. 

Wanyama arrived at Spurs from Southampton in the summer of 2016 and he hit the ground running at White Hart Lane.

He formed a formidable partnership in the middle of the park with Mousa Dembele as Spurs enjoyed their best season of the Premier League era in 2016/17, finishing second only to Antonio Conte’s Chelsea with 86 points.

However, injury problems prevented Wanyama from fulfilling his potential in North London and the Kenyan eventually departed the Lilywhites in March of 2020 to join MLS club CF Montreal, just two months on from Eriksen’s switch to Inter Milan.

The Dane has now spoken in glowing terms about the 31-year-old’s qualities, admitting that the hard work that Wanyama put in to protect Tottenham’s back four, allowed him to play with more freedom.

When asked to name the best African player he has played alongside, Eriksen told Premier League Productions (12/09/22 at 11:10 am): “The best African player? I would say (played) with, Victor Wanyama.

“First of all, he loves pasta. That was a big thing, I think, for him. 

“In regards to his playing style, he was the man always protecting the midfield. In my role, as the free role, it was him to protect and he did that very well. He was very good defensively and I loved playing alongside him.”

Spurs Web Opinion 

Were it not for his injury problems, Wanyama could have gone on to become a modern-day Spurs legend. The Kenyan was absolutely brilliant in his first season at the club but his constant knee troubles meant that he never managed to regain his best over the subsequent years, particularly given how reliant he was on his strength and athleticism.