The past few months have been nothing short of extraordinary for Marshall Munetsi, who might still feel like his move to Wolves is a dream come true.
Wolves secured Munetsi’s signature on transfer deadline day, signing the 28-year-old midfielder from Ligue 1 side Reims for approximately £16 million.
The midfield powerhouse arrived at Molineux as a relatively unknown figure but has quickly won over the fans with his performances.
Munetsi scored his first goal for Wolves against Everton earlier this month, with Vitor Pereira deploying him as a second striker, positioned just behind Jorgen Strand Larsen.
Pereira, who praised Munetsi’s qualities after the draw with Everton, has made an immediate impact at Compton Park. However, his influence extends beyond the pitch.
Orlando Pirates’ former defender-turned-midfielder Marshall Munetsi is now playing in the English Premier League. What’s stopping other local players from following suit?
MENTALITY AND VISION:
“It’s funny, I spoke to Marc Van Heerden, who obviously played at Pirates with Munetsi,” said Eric Tinkler, the new coach of Sekhukhune United, as quoted by KickOff. “Marc told me about the mentality that the boy had—he didn’t see Pirates as the pinnacle of his career.”
“He just saw Pirates as part of his journey to get into Europe, and that has always been his dream and his goal, to push on and make it in Europe. Now he finds himself at Wolves.”
“I think sometimes for South African players, it’s a lot easier to see Pirates, Chiefs, and Sundowns as the pinnacle of their careers. It’s very rare to see players taking the step into Europe from big clubs in South Africa. I think there’s a wrong mentality in some of the youth players, not seeing beyond the big three, not really setting their targets high enough,” Tinkler concluded.
Marshall Munetsi donates 10% of his wages to charity:
Coming from humble beginnings, earning just £200 a month during his early days in South Africa, Munetsi has never been motivated by money.
His dream was always to play at the highest level of football, which he achieved with Wolves. Now, he is giving back to those who aspire to follow a similar path.
Munetsi donates 10% of his salary to the Marshall Munetsi Foundation, which helps underprivileged children realize their potential through sport and art.
Speaking about his charitable efforts to the E&S, Munetsi said: “I want to make a difference. Life, at the end of the day, is much more than sport and much more than football.”
“Helping those in need is also very important to me, so I will keep on doing it as long as I can. Even if you are able to change 10 people’s lives, it would be worth it for me.”
“I still do my part in Africa and in the world in general. We have so many things to change and improve. It’s something that I’m passionate about, and I was fortunate to be part of that board to be able to contribute in certain areas that I can.”
“The football image has always been about spending money and scandals, so for me, it was also a way to show we can be different. We can play at the highest level but also be humble and normal human beings.”
Munetsi is also one of the few players involved in FIFPRO’s Global Player Council, where one of his goals is to prevent fake agents from exploiting aspiring African footballers.
Munetsi has fixed one problem Gary O’Neil had:
From his words and actions since joining Wolves, it’s clear that Munetsi is not only an exceptional footballer but also an extraordinary human being.
The midfielder has made a significant impact since being signed by Pereira and continues to advocate for underprivileged children off the pitch.
Remarkably, he has also addressed a major issue that Gary O’Neil highlighted in the squad. O’Neil lamented the lack of physicality after the defeat to Ipswich Town, but Munetsi and Emmanuel Agbadou have ensured that is no longer a concern.
Wolves will now hope both players return from the international break in good form after being called up by Zimbabwe and Ivory Coast, respectively.