Former Harambee Stars midfielder Victor Wanyama has opened up about a missed opportunity to join record English champions Manchester United.

In an interview on Radio 47 on Saturday, December 16, 2023, Wanyama recounted how legendary Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson sought to bring him to Old Trafford, but the move did not materialize.

“Ferguson came to watch our match with Barcelona. He was in the stadium and had a meeting with the President of Celtic. Ferguson said, ‘This young man should be in Manchester,’” Wanyama shared.

Wanyama and his teammates were in Barcelona to take on the Spanish giants in the group stage of the 2012/13 UEFA Champions League at Camp Nou.

With Ferguson in the stadium, things went just right for Wanyama, making history as the first Kenyan to score in the Champions League as Celtic won 2–1 on November 7, 2012.

“Manchester United is set to make an £8 million bid for Celtic midfielder Victor Wanyama. Celtic is likely to reject the offer because of the player’s importance to them – he scored in the home Champions League win over Barcelona,” ESPN reported at the time.

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The move, however, did not materialize in the January transfer window, and Ferguson left his role as United manager after a record 26 years, leaving Wanyama ruing the missed opportunity.

“I did not talk to Ferguson. The president called me and told me he had talked to Ferguson, and Manchester United was a real possibility. I don’t understand what happened because that was the same year that Ferguson retired,” he said.

He currently plies his trade with Major League Soccer (MLS) side Montreal Impact and has revealed plans of venturing into coaching when he hangs up his boots.