Kenyan international Victor Wanyama reacts to Mousa Dembele's retirement announcement with powerful statement

• Wanyama understands the talent and abilities of Mousa Dembele, having played together at Tottenham for a couple of years
• Dembele recently announced on social media that he would be hanging his boots at the end of 2022
• The Kenyan international was among those who wished the star well after the retirement announcement on Tuesday

Former Harambee Stars midfielder Victor Wanyama has sent a message of encouragement to his ex-teammate Mousa Dembele, after the Belgian revealed plans to retire at the end of the season.

Dembele, on Tuesday, February 8, took to social media to reveal that he wanted to hang his boots when the Chinese Super League season came to an end.

The Belgian, 34, currently plays for Chinese outfit Guangzhou City, which he joined in 2019 after leaving Tottenham.

"I still have a year on my contract left. But I can already share I will stop my career after this year is finished," Dembele wrote on Instagram.

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Reports from Daily Mail indicate Dembele primarily wants to call it quits on his football career to focus on his family.

Wanyama’s reaction

On learning of the news that his former team mate was calling it quits on a decent football career, Wanyama shared an image of the pair during their Tottenham days with the message:

“You are retiring, but a new phase of your life is beginning. Thank you for the years of dedication that has given us endless entertaiment. Enjoy your retirement @mousadembele,”

Wanyama joined Tottenham from Southampton in 2016 and went on to form a formidable partnership with Dembele in Tottenham Hotspur’s midfield.

In 2016, the pair were crucial in midfield as Mauricio Pochettino’s Spurs made an unlikely push for the Premier League title, but stumbled towards the end as Leicester went on to finish in first place.

Dembele would go on to leave Tottenham in 2019, with Wanyama soon following suit after falling out of favour in the team.

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The Kenyan international now plies his trade in the MLS with Montreal Impact, where he is an integral part of the team.

“Dembele leaving Tottenham might have been a mistake”

As Sports Brief reported earlier, Kieran Trippier, now at Newcastle, recently opened up about his former team Tottenham and departures from the club that may have been mistakes.

Trippier believes the sale of Dembele in January 2019 hurt Tottenham’s chances at silverware, despite the team being in prime position to walk away with the Champions League.

“For me, the big one was selling Moussa Dembele that January," Trippier told Alan Shearer via The Athletic.