Celtic’s Old Firm derby defeat to Rangers a fortnight ago emphasised the importance of having a reliable player at the base of midfield.
In the absence of captain and talisman Callum McGregor due to a calf injury, the Hoops were overrun in midfield by their fiercest rivals, ultimately beaten 3-2 right at the death.
Brendan Rodgers admitted afterwards, during his Sky Sports interview with Luke Shanley, that there’s “no doubt” his team missed McGregor, struggling to cope without the “tactical balance” the skipper provides.
Meanwhile, one of Celtic’s best defensive midfielders of recent times – Victor Wanyama – has been in the news this week, while a player they let go, compared to the Kenyan star, is not fulfilling his potential down south.
Victor Wanyama's return to Scottish football
Wanyama joined Celtic for a reported fee of £900k from Beerschot in the summer of 2011, making 91 appearances in hoops and certainly leaving a lasting impression in Glasgow.
He particularly impressed in the Champions League, with Ewan Murray of the Guardian praising his ‘string of high-level displays’.
The towering midfielder broke the deadlock with a towering header when Celtic famously beat Barcelona 2-1 at Parkhead in November 2012, after which Jacob Steinberg of the Guardian claimed that, up against Andrés Iniesta, Xavi and Lionel Messi, Wanyama was ‘the best player on the pitch’.
He was then sold to Southampton, making 97 appearances for both the Saints and his next club Tottenham Hotspur, before rather falling off the radar.
Wanyama had been plying his trade with MLS side Club de Foot Montréal, featuring 133 times for the Canadian outfit, but sitting out a further 52 fixtures during his ill-fated four-year stint in Quebec, released last October having offered the team ‘basically nothing’, according to Joe Lowery of Total Soccer Show, despite being the club’s highest-paid player.
Well, after over five months without a club, Wanyama hit the Scottish football headlines this week by signing for Dunfermline Athletic, second-bottom of the SPFL Championship, after the Pars had also appointed former Celtic boss Neil Lennon as manager earlier this week.
Where Are They Now
Your star player or biggest flop has left the club but what are they doing in the present day? This article is part of Football FanCast’s Where Are They Now series.
Now 33 years old, it is clear Wanyama is past his best, albeit in his prime he was one of the Premier League’s midfielders, and Celtic thought they may have had the next Wanyama on their hands, only for him to be sold last summer.
What happened to Celtic's next Wanyama?
Having spent time at Bohemians and then Watford, Bosun Lawal joined Celtic’s academy as an 18-year-old, despite interest from Chelsea as well as other Premier League clubs, according to a report by Mark Hendry of the Herald.
Well, if Celtic supporters don’t remember him, that isn’t too surprising, considering he made just one appearance for the first team, handed a three-minute cameo by Ange Postecoglou towards the end of a 5-0 Scottish Cup victory over Greenock Morton.
He did though feature 21 times for the Colts team across the Lowland League and the SPFL Trust Trophy, before spending the 2023/24 season on loan at Fleetwood Town in EFL League One.
At 6 foot 2 and comfortable in both midfield and the centre of defence – much like Wanyama – Lawal looked to be the second coming of the former Parkhead hero, having been hailed as “strong and powerful” by ex-Watford colleague, Troy Deeney.
Appearances
46
Minutes
3,782
% of minutes played
80.8%
Interceptions
26
Tackles won
56
Clearances
114
% of ground duels won
54.4%
% of aerial duels won
73.9%
Average Sofascore Rating
7.02
After returning from this loan in Lancashire, Lawal featured in a pre-season friendly against Ayr United last July, with Rodgers saying he “looks good”, adding that he’s “physically gifted” and a “talent with the ball”.
Like Wanyama too – who scored 13 times for the club – Lawal had shown a real goalscoring knack in the youth ranks, after netting six times in just 21 outings for the ‘B’ team.
Nevertheless, a month later, he was sold to Stoke City for a reported £2m, although he then had to wait until December to make his debut for the Potters, after a stress fracture in his lower back was discovered.
Thus, the Republic of Ireland U21 international has, to date, made only four appearances, totalling 57 minutes, in a Stoke shirt to date, yet to fulfill his potential, suggesting Celtic were right to cash in when they did.
He's worth more than Rexhbecaj: Celtic have hit gold with Rodgers signing
Celtic have hit the jackpot with midfield star who is already worth more than reported target Elvis Rexhbecaj.
ByDan EmeryMar 27, 2025