Nakamba Says It’s Time For Newly-Promoted Luton To Compete With The ‘Best of the Best’

TAKUDZWA HILLARY CHIWANZA 

For Luton Town, the unbelievable, impossible, and wildly remote achievement came to fruition – promotion to the elite, lucrative top-flight division of English football, the Premier League. And in this equally exhilarating and turbulent journey for Luton, Zimbabwean midfielder Marvelous Nakamba played an instrumental role.

Pic - Luton Today

And for Nakamba, despite uncertainty hovering over where he will play in next season’s Premier League action, one thing is fundamentally clear: that the time has come for Luton to prove that they have what it takes to compete at such an elite, highly competitive level; that Luton can compete with the “best of the best” in the Premier League.

Marvelous Nakamba, the 29-year-old midfielder, played a pivotal role in helping Luton to secure top-flight promotion – having joined the small club on loan from Aston Villa.

His midfield prowess when he moved to Kenilworth Road was crystallized by his incontestable efforts in helping the Hatters defeat Coventry City 6-5 on penalties in the Championship play-off at Wembley recently, which won the former promotion to the Premier League. 

The victory saw Luton return to the top-flight league for the first time in over three decades.

Commenting on what Luton can expect in their first season of Premier League action, Nakamba remarked: “They have qualified, they’re now playing in the Premier League, so it’s time to compete with the best of the best in the Premier League.

“It’s exciting times for everyone and as a player, everyone wants to play in the best league in the world, to compete with the best.

“Now it is the time, they’ve achieved it, they’ve deserved it.

“Everyone did it as a group, the supporters, so now it’s up to the players to continue giving everything.”

It still remains unclear whether Nakamba will join Luton on a permanent basis or not, with Villa coach Unai Emery reported to have opened the door for Nakamba to leave Villa at a time when Luton fans overwhelmingly want the midfielder to join Luton on a permanent basis.

Emery said that he is looking for new faces to join Aston Villa, which he led to seventh on the table, and that he is not keen on taking back those who were loaned.

Currently, Nakamba is leading the work for his charity and welfare organization, the Marvelous Nakamba Foundation.