MARVELOUS Nakamba has thanked everyone connected with Aston Villa, including chefs, cleaners, and groundsmen, after he left the club on Thursday.
Nakamba will return to Villa Park in October, but as a Luton Town player after completing a permanent transfer for an undisclosed fee. He spent the second half of last season on loan at Kenilworth Road and played a key role in helping Rob Edwards' side achieve promotion to the Premier League through the play-offs.
Nakamba spent four years in claret and blue after joining Villa following their promotion to the English top-flight back in 2019. He was signed from Club Brugge and made 68 appearances for Villa. After joining Luton, Nakamba posted on Instagram: “There’s always an end to everything, good things as well. My time at Aston Villa has come to an end.
“I would like to thank the fans as they are the most important part of the club. A special thanks to the current and previous technical staff and all my team mates whom I shared many nice memories with.
“I would also want to thank those people who do not see themselves on the front covers of the club, but without them nothing would be possible, these people include the chefs who prepared food for us, the cleaners, the security staff and the groundsmen who kept the grass in the best conditions. #UTV See you soon @avfcofficial.”
Meanwhile Luton boss Rob Edwards believes the permanent signing of Marvelous Nakamba ‘speaks volumes’ for the ambitions of the Hatters this season.
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The acquisition of the 29-year-old, on a three deal, something the club don’t usually publicise, represents a fantastic piece of business from the Town board.
Although the Zimbabwean international cost Aston Villa £11m in 2019, and still had 12 months to run on what was a lucrative deal at Villa Park, Luton have been able to persuade him to make Kenilworth Road his home, as they prepare for their first ever season in the Premier League.
Discussing his latest addition, Edwards told the club’s official website: “A massive thank you to Gary (Sweet, CEO) and the board, they’ve worked so hard on this, and to Aston Villa for making it happen.
“It’s a huge statement for the club going forward.
“To bring in a player of his quality on a permanent transfer speaks volumes of where this football club is going, how ambitious we are and where we intend to go.
“We want to keep moving forward, it’s really exciting times and Marv is another addition, together with the ones we brought in, that I think are really going to improve us.”
Edwards was quoted last term as saying that Nakamba was his ‘favourite player in world football’ for the impact he had after arriving on loan.
Going into more detail on just how good the midfielder was during his stint with the Hatters, he added: “We, the supporters, the board, the staff and the players, all fell in love with Marv for what he gave us.
“Not just his work ethic, but his humility.
“He’s so unassuming; he just slotted in from day one and it felt like he had been at Luton for 10 years.
“I think he felt that love. Everyone felt that he enjoyed himself and that it felt like home for him.
“That’s why it is special because he felt it was right, he felt comfortable, at home, and now he is.
“As a footballer, he was the glue that knitted us together, he allowed everyone to do their jobs.
“There were quotes out there last season saying it was like having three of him on the pitch at times, he covered every blade of grass.”