One of the key pieces of advice the A-League received in early 2020, when it was separating from Football Australia, was that the “best asset” it could possess was the local boy or girl made good. The counsel came from the former Premier League boss Richard Scudamore, who was drafted by clubs to advise their new stewardship of the competition, and it’s hard to imagine a more apt example of this than Nestory Irankunda. So it’s no surprise that Australian football has become so invested in the journey of the 18-year-old and the saga surrounding his status with Australia’s U23 side, the Olyroos.
The teenage sensation is emblematic of what the competition is trying to become in its new, belated, “football-focused” era; an incredibly talented young man, who received an opportunity to play for his home town club and promptly excelled. Arriving in Australia as a refugee, he has gone from the Adelaide Croatia Raiders to Adelaide United, and soon, Bayern Munich. All in process before his 18th birthday in February. It’s a step-by-step journey that followers of the game have been able to track almost in its entirety and, as a result, invest in emotionally.
