Working hard and dreaming big against all odds, is something Marshall Munetsi can relate to.

The Mabvuku-bred midfielder was at some point in his career, not even trusted at South African Premiership giants Orlando Pirates, to the point of not being registered.

After a somewhat successful loan stint at Limpopo-based side Baroka, Munetsi returned to Pirates ahead of the 2017/2018 season but the Buccaneers did not register the soft-spoken midfielder, forcing him to sit out for a year.

In actual fact, two different coaches — Milutin ‘Micho’ Sredojevic and Ertugral Muhsin both believed Munetsi was surplus to requirements at Pirates, with the latter openly telling the Zimbabwe international, that there was no place for him in the team.

Munetsi even tried to move to Ajax Cape Town but the deal hit a snag at the eleventh hour, resulting in close to six months of inactivity.

When the chance to play finally came, Munetsi literally created a third hand to grab it, even though it was in an unfamiliar position —in central defense.

It didn’t matter, all Munetsi wanted, was a chance to play.

“It was a huge blow for me personally as a player as I was trying to make some strides after Baroka. And when they finally gave me a chance they said they wanted to use me as a central defender, but for me personally, I just wanted to play and I didn’t really care where I would be playing. After that a lot of people thought I was a centre-back,” Munetsi said.

The struggles Munetsi endured in the black half of Soweto did not discourage him, as after making 24 appearances for Pirates and helping them reach the Telkom Knockout final, he left the Sea Robbers for French Lig 1 side Stade de Reims in 2019.

That switch was the turning point for the towering midfielder, as his stay in France was personified by an incredible transformation which saw him become a sought-after player.

Amid Brighton and Hove Albion’s reported interest in Munetsi in 2022, English publication Daily Mail even claimed that the Zimbabwean midfielder’s statistics were better than those of Real Madrid ace Aurélien Tchouaméni, who had just joined Los Blancos from Monaco that year.

“Munetsi’s figures, notably on interceptions and defensive duels won in-game, put him ahead of the likes of Aurelien Tchouameni who joined Real Madrid from Monaco earlier this month and Boubacar Kamara who left Marseille for Aston Villa,”read an article by renowned columnist Samuel Johns for the publication.

“Brighton’s analysts are understood to have reported favourably along with scouts and he is under consideration as they look to fill the void left by Yves Bissouma’s departure to Tottenham.”

Though the move to Brighton didn’t materialize, it was clear based on his consistency in France, that Munetsi securing a deal in the English top-flight was a question of when, not a matter of if.

He made a deadline day move to Wolverhampton Wanderers for a fee believed to be around €20 million this week,  becoming the most expensive Zimbabwean player in the process, having eclipsed Tino Kadewere’s €15 million transfer fee paid to Le Havre by Olympique Lyon in 2020.

“Wolves have made Marshall Munetsi their second deadline day signing, bringing in the midfielder from Reims on a three-and-a-half-year deal,” the club said in a statement.

“The Zimbabwe international, whose contract includes a further 12-month option, joins having played 159 games for Reims, 67 of which came alongside another of Wolves’ January signings Emmanuel Agbadou.

“The 28-year-old, who is capable of playing in a number of midfield roles, spent the early part of his career in South Africa, representing Ubuntu Cape Verde, Baroka and Orlando Pirates.”

Desmond Ali, the owner Ali Sundowns —the club where Munetsi cut his foot teeth in Mabvuku, heaped praise on the Warriors star for his hard work and determination.

“It’s big that Marshall has become the most expensive player in Zimbabwe. We are excited and overjoyed but it’s not something that surprised us considering how he group and how dedicated he was,” said Ali.

“He (Munetsi) was dedicated and very disciplined too, perhaps because his father was a policeman. He was dedicated to his cause and I’m not surprised he has achieved all that he has achieved,” added Ali.

In a flash, Munetsi went from being unwanted in Soweto, to becoming an English Premier League star.