Online Reporter
THERE is a fairly good chance that Marshall Munetsi is a bundle of nerves right about now.
In roughly 24 hours, give or take, the Zimbabwe international midfielder could very well make his much awaited Wolverhampton Wanderers debut and against one of England’s biggest clubs and current English Premiership log leaders, Liverpool, for that matter.
The 28-year-old Zimbabwean last weekend featured for Wolves, who clinched a 2-0 victory over Blackburn Rovers to advance into the fifth round of the FA Cup, and Munetsi was introduced in the 66th minute.
Vitor Pereira, the Wolves coach, clinched the signing of the 28-year-old for £16,6 million on transfer deadline day alongside Red Star Belgrade centre-back Nasser Djiga.
Now, the duo is expected to help Wolves secure English Premier League survival this term, with Pereira seeing them as vital pieces to the puzzle.
Munetsi has already showcased what he can bring to the party.
Dave Edwards was blown away by Munetsi, whose lung-bursting runs from midfield also caught Pereira’s eye.
The Zimbabwe international has been added to the squad to supply goals from midfield, doing so regularly during his spell at Reims.
Munetsi was often involved positively in attacking sequences and even scored four goals this season before joining Wolves.
But Pereira has been impressed with more than just his capacity to provide quality from deep, waxing lyrical over his physical attributes that allow him to cover every blade of grass.
“He’s a player who is a transition midfielder, with the physicality to appear in the box to score and after a few seconds he’s in our box defending,” Pereira said via the E&S.
“He has this physicality that we need to be everywhere.
“He’s the kind of player that I appreciate a lot. He’s a midfielder who scores goals, if you look at his career he’s scored a lot of goals.
“The situation he had with the header, it’s very normal for him because when the cross comes, he will be there. That’s what I appreciated when I analysed the player.”
Munetsi was impressed with the Wolves fans and during his 24 minutes on the pitch, he described representing his new team as a ‘dream come true’.
“I’m so delighted because it has been a dream come true for me – representing a big club like Wolves, and what a way to start.
“The guys had already done the most difficult job, to take the lead, and I was just there to do my small part,” Munetsi told the Wolves’ official website.
From the industry of Joao Gomes to the playmaking qualities of Andre, Munetsi is destined to add some more firepower from midfield and a plethora of physical attributes.
The man who founded the club in Harare where Marshall Munetsi started his football journey, Desmund Ali, has revealed why the midfielder was destined to play in Europe.
Ali, who is coincidentally a Wolves super fan, established Ali Sundowns and this is the club that unearthed Munetsi.
Ali grew up in Mabvuku, a high-density area in Harare, where he witnessed the struggles of young footballers.
Wanting to give back to his community, he started the club in 2003, initially catering to junior teams before expanding into senior football.
Today, Ali Sundowns have risen from Zimbabwe’s fourth tier to the Second Division, and their women’s side is on track to compete at the highest level.
The man, who is a banker by profession and nicknamed “The Village Pope” told The Athletic that he first spotted Munetsi as a 10-year-old and immediately recognised his potential.
“My first impression of Marshall was that he had potential,” he said.
“The biggest issue when we identify players for leagues in Europe is that you want bigger guys like (former Zimbabwe international) Benjani.
“Size matters in Europe and when I saw him I thought, ‘This guy is going to grow big’.
“I didn’t use any science. It was just an observation with the eye. When I saw his father and mother, I could tell that this guy was going to grow big.
“He could play as a right-back, as a centre-back, as a defensive link, as an attacking link and even as a striker. He was kind of a utility player.
“Covering ground was always a strength of his, even when he was playing at centre-back. He could easily join the attack without a problem.
“His other attribute was that he had booming shots.
“Even when he was young, he could hit the ball so well. He came to training on time, focusing on his training and he was more like an introvert. He didn’t talk too much, but he would do his talking on the field.
“If you saw him for the first time, you would think he’s just a quiet boy.”
Now, all that is left for Munetsi is to make his official premiership debut.
There is a fairly good chance that said debut could come as early as tomorrow when Wolves travel to Anfield for a date against English Premiership League log leaders Liverpool. – Agencies/Zimpapers Sports Hub
