Great coach developing happy Nak

VILLA midfielder Marvelous Nakamba is learning so much on the job – and it’s mainly thanks to head coach Dean Smith.

Nakamba has nailed down a place in central midfield since making his Premier League debut against West Ham in September.

The Zimbabwe international, an £11 million summer signing from Belgian side Club Brugge, says his improvement as a player is down to the tactical guidance and measured man-management of Smith.

“He’s a great, great coach,” Nakamba said. “I’m learning a lot from him because in each and every training session there is something I am impressed with and something that is helping me to improve as a player. In training I’m always learning. He’s there for every player in the dressing room. He pushes you in every training session and is someone I admire.”

Nakamba enjoyed spells with Nancy, Vitesse Arnhem and Brugge before joining the raft of signings at Villa over the summer. The physical demands are on a different level to those he would have previously experienced, yet Nakamba has very quickly adjusted to the intensity of the Premier League. The 25-year-old is proud of his journey in football and would not have changed a thing.

“If I compare where I have been and where I am now, it’s more competitive,” he said. “I’m grateful for where I’ve come from because it was a stepping stone for me.

“It was a journey where I want to be here. I’m competing against some of the world’s best players week in, week out. It’s one of the best leagues in the world.

“The Premier League has been a dream for me since I was young. In Zimbabwe, it’s the league they show the most. It was a league I always wanted to play in. It was a dream I had to work for and I am working hard to be here.”