A Birmingham Live reporter, Ashley Preece, has showered Zimbabwe international Marvelous Nakamba with praise, describing him as a “smooth operator who is ice cool on the ball.”

The 25-year-old made his eagerly awaited Premier League debut for Aston Villa against West Ham last night at Villa Park, starting for the Dean Smith-coached side and Preece was impressed by the mifielder.

“I liked the look of Marvelous Nakamba, the Zimbabwean who was finally handed his Premier League debut by Smith against West Ham. The 25-year-old sat in front of the back four and enjoyed a lot of early touches of the football which would have no doubt calmed his nerves. He looks a really smooth operator, all left foot but ice-cool on the ball, often pivoting in the anchorman role while keeping it simple with his range of passing” wrote Preece in today’s edition of the Birmingham Live.