Wanyama hails Lennon

VICTOR WANYAMA has hailed Neil Lennon as the man who set him on the path to becoming a Champions League finalist. The Tottenham midfielder expressed gratitude to Lennon as he continued his preparations for Saturday’s showdown against Liverpool at the Wanda Metropolitano Stadium in Madrid. Wanyama was signed

during the Northern Irishman’s first spell in charge at Parkhead, developing into a star performer who was sold for a then-record £12.5million to Southampton in 2013. The 27-year-old insisted that he will never forget what Lennon did for his career and was delighted to see him being offered a permanent deal by the Parkhead board after clinching the treble Treble as interim boss last weekend. ‘I will always be grateful to Celtic for what they did for me and my career and I will always be grateful to Neil Lennon, too,’ said the Kenyan. ‘I watched Celtic’s game against Hearts in the Scottish Cup final on Saturday and I was cheering for them but I haven’t had a chance to speak to Neil. ‘I am pleased to see him get the job. I think he is a fantastic manager and a fantastic coach but he is also a good man. He taught me the game. He made me a mature player. He gave me that understanding which let me go on.’ Meanwhile, Wanyama’s team-mate Harry Kane has given Tottenham a huge boost by declaring himself fit for Saturday’s final. The striker, who has not featured since injuring his ankle in the quarter-final, first leg against Manchester City on April 9, said: ‘If the final was today, I would be fit.’