Former Warriors Coach Says Nakamba Needs Good Counselling And Motivation
Former Warriors coach Joey Antipas says Aston Villa midfielder Marvelous Nakamba needs counselling and motivation to overcome the career setback he is currently facing at English Premiership club.
Nakamba, who turned 29 years old last week, was recently told he is surplus to requirement and to find a new club by Aston Villa coach Unai Emery.
Antipas told The Herald that Nakamba still has more years of football ahead of him. Said Antipas:
It happens in a football career that at one point you are up and the next you are down.
I think this is what is happening to Nakamba. But these are just phases that come and go.
More than anything, I would think he needs counselling and good motivation. Marvelous is a professional, he still has more years of football ahead of him.
Nakamba is one of the top players in the country. If the Warriors were to play a game today, he is obviously one player that the national team coaches would like to have on their team.
So, it’s quite a difficult time for him. It can be such a heartbreak for any player.
Just imagine, suddenly you cannot make the match day squad and you are told to leave.
The last time we were reading that he was doing well and suddenly this. To be honest, I can’t blame Marvelous, and neither do I blame the coach.
The truth is we all don’t know what really happened with Nakamba ever since he came back from that injury.
He should hold his head up and look for new challenges elsewhere, if possible.
He needed to get his confidence back. At 29, he can still play to his best and probably be at the peak of his career.
A good footballer at that level always finds ways to get out of those kinds of situations and I am just hoping for the best for Marvelous.
Nakamba signed for Aston Villa from Belgian side Club Brugge for €12 million in August 2019.
The midfielder has made 58 EPL appearances since joining the club, 29 coming in his maiden season in the 2019/20 season.
He made 13 appearances during the 2020/21 season but also suffered a series of injuries and loss of form.
Last season, he made 16 appearances but was yet to play a minute of English Premiership football this season.
Nakamba is one of the three players that have been put on the transfer list by Aston Villa, along with Frenchman Morgan Sanson and Swedish Ludwig Augustinsson.
