Marvelous Nakamba’s resurgence under freshly-recruited coach Steven Gerrard has not gone unnoticed in England.

By Lawrence Mangenje

Gerrard has been credited for ‘transforming’ the 27-year old Zimbabwean midfield enforcer, who is enjoying arguably his best ever form since swapping the blue shirt of Club Brugge, for the claret and blue of Aston Villa, in August 2019.

In yesterday’s 2-1 win over Leicester, the soft-spoken Warriors star, fresh from winning the club’s Player of the Month for November, anchored the midfield with the swagger of a player whose rejuvenation is there for all to see.

“He (Nakamba) is one of the most improved players in the Premier League,” opined legendary broadcaster Jim Beglin, who was on commentary duties with Peter Drury at Villa Park.

Nakamba has started for the Birmingham-based side in all of Gerrard’s first four games since the former Liverpool midfield ace replaced Dean Smith.

Birmingham Mail writer John Towley, described Nakamba’s role in the Vila engine room under Gerrard, as key.

“Would have continued to catch Gerrard’s eye after another impressive display at the heart of Villa’s midfield this afternoon. His energy and combative approach is so important in Gerrard’s system. Another commendable effort from Marvelous,” he wrote in the player ratings, in which the Zimbabwe international got 8 out of 10.

Villa podcaster Ty Bracey weighed in and lavished the Hwange-bred midfielder with praise.

“Marvelous Nakamba has gone from one of the fringe players in the team with little confidence to one of the most important to me. He’s in the form of his career and I couldn’t be happier for him,” he wrote on microblogging site Twitter.