Neil Lennon ‘opens talks’ with ex-Celtic hero with 91 appearances following ‘very influential’ claim

Former Celtic boss Neil Lennon is keen to retain the services of Victor Wanyama at Dunfermline after opening talks with the 65-time Kenyan international.

The 33-year-old midfielder sent shockwaves around Scottish football when he agreed to join The Pars in March but his return to football didn’t go as planned after he was sent off on his debut during a 3-0 defeat to Scott Brown’s Ayr United side after just 20 minutes.

Wanyama is one of the biggest names in the Scottish Championship. The tough-tackling midfielder joined Celtic from Belgian side Beerschot in July 2011 for a reported £900,000 after a long but ultimately unsuccessful transfer saga the previous summer.

He instantly endeared himself to the Parkhead faithful by selecting the number 67 as a tribute to the team’s 1967 European Cup win. Wanyama made plenty of European memories of his own in a Celtic shirt and was a fundamental part of the team which last made it to the knockout stages while notably scoring against Barcelona in the group stage of a famous 2-1 victory in Glasgow against a team containing Lionel Messi, Xavi and Iniesta.

Overall, Wanyama made 91 appearances for the Hoops across all competitions, winning two league titles, a Scottish Cup and the Young Player of the Year award. He signed for Southampton for £11m and three impressive years at St Mary’s Stadium before completing a move for a similar fee to Tottenham in 2016.

Wanyama played 97 matches for the Lillywhites including a Champions League final against former team-mate Virgil van Dijk after his move to Liverpool. He spent four years of his career in the MLS with Montreal before his surprise move to Fife based Dunfermline.

Neil Lennon hopes to keep Victor Wanyama at Dunfermline

Neil Lennon has steered Dunfermline to safety and will now have his sights set on getting the club back to the big time for the first since 2011/12 in what was Wanyama’s debut season at Parkhead.

Dunfermline recently gave the latest on their squad going into the off-season: "Following the conclusion of the 2024/25 season, Dunfermline Athletic can provide the following squad update.

"Leaving the club at the end of their contracts are Aaron Comrie, Joe Chalmers, Craig Wighton, Rhys Breen, David Wotherspoon, Craig Clay, Michael O’Halloran and Omar Taylor-Clarke.

"Dialogue remains ongoing with Chris Hamilton, Josh Cooper, Tashan Oakley-Boothe, Jeremiah Chilokoa Mullen and Victor Wanyama."

Victor Wanyama past comments hint at potential contract extension

Victor Wanyama admitted that he has a lot to thank Neil Lennon for in his career and claims the Northern Irishmen was central to his move to Fife. He said in March: The manager is somebody that I respect a lot, you know, he’s done a lot for me," said the midfielder last month.

"He’s taken me to another level in my career and I always appreciate that and I know how he works and he’s been very, very influential in my career.

"He told me to come, to try and be a leader in the dressing room, try and help the team, try and also help the young players, so I couldn’t resist.

"When I got the call, I spoke to the gaffer, I spoke to the owner, it was just good to hear the ideas that they had and where they see the club, I couldn’t turn it down."

The Kenyan has played four times so far at Championship level, with his most recent appearance coming in a 2-0 defeat to Greenock Morton.

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