Bristol City coach Struber tips Kenyan prospect Zak Vyner for greatness

Bristol City head coach Gerhard Struber has backed Kenyan prospect Zak Vyner for greatness insisting he has all the ingredients required for any player to succeed in the world.

The 28-year-old etched his name into Bristol City’s history books as the Robins came from behind to beat Southampton 3-1 in an entertaining English Championship encounter at Ashton Gate on Tuesday night.

Vyner, who has been one of City’s most consistent performers, became the club’s all-time record appearance holder in the Championship, making his 219th appearance surpassing the 218 set by Jamaican midfielder Marvin Elliott between 2007 and 2014.

Zak Vyner is tactically smart

Speaking after the game, Struber showered praise on the young defender. He told Bristol Live as quoted by Mozzart Sport: “From the first second I took over the team and saw Zak Vyner, he was, for me, an outstanding player profile-wise.

“He has pace, physical power, technical ability, and he’s tactically smart. He has everything you want to work with in a player and to develop him further.

“Now we can see he’s not only a centre-back, he can also play as a six at a really good level. He’s consistent and reliable every game. A very interesting profile and a really good boy.”

The coach added: “I like him so much, how we work together, how he is in the dressing room, and how he acts after top performances. He’s humble, and it’s very nice for me as a coach to work with players of this level, especially with his attitude.

“Every single player in the dressing room likes being around him, as does my coaching team. So, Zaky is a really good player and a really good guy.”

Vyner trained with Kenya for World Cup qualifiers

Born in England to Kenyan parents, Vyner made his EFL Championship debut in 2016 for Bristol City in a 2-0 victory against Milton Keynes Dons and the defender can still play for Kenya’s Harambee Stars.

Former Harambee Stars coach Engin Firat handed Vyner a call up to the national team in preparation for the 2026 World Cup qualifying matches against Burundi and Ivory Coast.

However, the 27-year-old was not able to make his debut for the East African nation after he was forced to travel back to the United Kingdom due to failing to acquire his Kenyan passport on time.

Vyner had already been named in the travelling squad for the two qualifiers, which Kenya went ahead to post a 1-1 draw against Burundi and a 0-0 outcome against the African champions.

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