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Innocent Kurira, Sports Reporter 

ASTON Villa manager Steven Gerrard has challenged Marvelous Nakamba and other fringe players in his squad to show a great deal of hunger in their fight to get back into the team and his plans. 

Nakamba together with Morgan Sanson as well as Fredrick Guilbert have struggled to get game time at Villa this season and had been placed on the transfer list during the summer transfer window. 

This was an indication that they were not in the coach’s plans for the season but things could still change.

Addressing the Press ahead of his side’s clash against Southampton on Friday, Gerrard gave his thoughts on the fringe players in his squad.

“First and foremost in football you have to motivate yourself,” said Gerrard. 

Steven Gerrard holds an Aston Villa shirt after his appointment was announced. – Getty Images

“But in terms of the collective I try to motivate the players for every single game. But you’ve got to be professional, that’s what you’re paid to be.

“Nothing can change as of now, the window’s shut so there should be a hunger and a will to want to perform and do the best they can. 

“They are contracted here to Aston Villa and I’ll certainly get a feel of all those players of where they are at with their thinking, with what they tell me and the feedback I get and we’ll go from there.”

Nakamba has fallen out of favour with Gerrard who has so far preferred new acquisition Boubacar Kamara who signed for Villa as a free agent this summer. The 28-year-old Nakamba, is yet to play this season and has only been named on the bench in two games.

The reason behind Nakamba falling down the pecking appears to be Gerrard’s need for an offensive player in his central midfield. Kamara suits the role as he is a box-to-box midfielder who is good both in attack and tracking back.

During the summer transfer window Villa retained central midfielder Douglas Luiz despite a late bid from Arsenal and also signed another defensive midfielder, Leander Dendoncker from Wolverhampton Wanderers in a permanent deal worth around £13 million. Creating more competition for Nakamba.

According to reports emanating from the United Kingdom, Nakamba and Sanson have been involved in the preparations for the next game. — @innocentskizoe