Online Reporter
LUTON Town boss Jack Wilshere has thrown midfielder Marvelous Nakamba a lifeline after the Zimbabwe international completed his first 90 minutes in a Luton shirt for over eight months on Tuesday night.
The 31-year-old has been a bit-part figure for Town ever since suffering a serious knee injury that unfortunately ended his English Premier League football campaign in December 2023, unable to build on his superb loan spell at Kenilworth Road that was a huge reason behind their promotion to the top flight in the first place.
After eventually recovering, Nakamba went on to make 17 starts last season, with his last coming in the 2-0 defeat to Watford in February when injury sadly struck again, a calf problem restricting him to one just more substitute outing in the run-in, that for the final minutes of what had appeared a crucial 1-0 success at relegation rivals Derby County.
However, back in English League One again, Nakamba didn’t play once under previous manager Matt Bloomfied during pre-season, the former boss stating he had a “slow” time of it due to uncertainty surrounding his future, with plenty of speculation that he would be heading elsewhere.
When a move failed to materialise though, Nakamba, who still can’t train every day due to that knee injury, the second of his career, was eventually included in three squads before Bloomfield was dismissed, with one 16-minute outing in the 1-0 victory over Doncaster Rovers.
He was then named in Wilshere’s first match-day 18 against Mansfield though and went on to play twice for his country Zimbabwe in their recent World Cup qualifiers versus South Africa and Lesotho, getting through a full 90 minutes and then another 45.
Missing the 1-0 win at Northampton last Saturday, Nakamba was selected from the first whistle against Brighton & Hove Albion Under-21s in their Vertu Trophy group stage tie on Tuesday night, the Hatters triumphing 3-1.
The former Club Brugge player, who once cost Aston Villa around £10m back in 2019, grew into the fixture, always looking calm when in possession, making a number of his trademark tackles and interceptions in the centre of the pitch to give Town’s midfield some authority over their young opponents, as he stayed the course to get through the full game.
Discussing his efforts afterwards, Nakamba lasting the distance for the first time since a 1-1 draw with Plymouth Argyle on February 19, Wilshere said: “I like Marv and I had to understand a little bit what was going on when I came in because he obviously hasn’t played. He played a couple of games for his national team which I think was good for him, he came back and he’s been training well. He’s been hungry, he’s been really humble I would say, I love the way he is with his character and as you saw tonight, he can win duels, keeps it simple and he’s played at a high level. So hopefully we can get him a little bit fitter, get him a few more games and he can help us.” — lutontoday.co.uk
