Return of Wanyama

​​​​​​​Victor Wanyama was expected to be a squad player at Tottenham but he has already moved to the top of Mauricio Pochettino’s midfield pecking order. We assess his impact ahead of his return to former club Southampton live on Sky Sports.

To appreciate Victor Wanyama’s impact at Tottenham, you only need to look at Eric Dier. The England international started all but one of their Premier League games after seamlessly swapping central defence for holding midfield last season, but since Wanyama’s arrival from Southampton, his place in Mauricio Pochettino’s team is no longer secure.

Dier has, of course, been required to provide cover in defence, but he was out of the team altogether before Toby Alderweireld was struck down by a knee injury in October, with Wanyama already established as the first-choice holder. Last week, Pochettino was even asked to respond to speculation linking Dier with a move away from the club.

The Spurs boss emphatically rejected those claims, but it’s an interesting change of dynamic nonetheless. Wanyama was signed to add depth to Tottenham’s squad. There was little expectation that he would go on to start 23 of their first 25 games. In the Premier League, only Jan Vertonghen has played more minutes for Spurs.

Having left Southampton as a key player, Wanyama returns to St Mary’s Stadium on Wednesday with similar status at Spurs. It has not been a straight-forward start to the season for Pochettino’s side, but only Chelsea have conceded fewer Premier …

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