- Nestory Irankunda was upset after being substituted
- He failed to make an impact as Adelaide lost to Brisbane
- Irankunda is set to sign for Bayern Munich and is a huge talent
Concerns have been raised over Nesotry Irankunda after the Bayern Munich-bound wonderkid burst into tears following his substitution on Sunday.
Irankunda, 17, was visibly upset after failing to make an impact on Adelaide United’s A-League Men’s game against Brisbane Roar, with the Roar running out 2-0 winners to move to second in the table.
There are high hopes for Irankunda after he landed a huge move to German powerhouse Bayern Munich for a league record fee, but his distress after coming off has sparked concern among fans and pundits.
‘He is under huge pressure, he is the great hope of Australian football,’ Roy O’Donovan told Channel 10.
‘You have to remember, he is only 17, he is still going through puberty, he has got a lot of emotions, he has got a lot of pressure to deal with.
Nestory Irankunda was inconsolable after he was substituted on Sunday
The 17-year-old was devastated after failing to have an impact for Adelaide United
‘Now, he didn’t deal with it well today, he didn’t deal with it well a couple of weeks ago, he needs an arm around the shoulder most definitely. He needs some time away from the pitch I think.’
Luke Wiltshere said that Irankunda is ‘not ready’ for the mental challenge of top level football just yet.
‘You can clearly see he is not ready to be… if we’re talking about Socceroos and international football because you have got to be able to manage your emotions because you’re going to get it no matter what age you are,’ he said.
‘We all want to see him at his best but everybody knows to be your best you need to be happy, you need to be good and clear in your mind. Thankfully he’s got people around him to help him through it.’
O’Donovan added that Irankunda had ‘a shocker’ on the pitch and needs the right support to help him build his resilience.
Irankunda is highly-rated and is set to join Bayern Munich in 2024
‘He is a huge talent, mega talent, but its all happening very quickly for him,’ he said.
‘We’ve got Bayern Munich, Socerroos talk. Today he had a shocker, and he is finding it hard to deal with that.
‘It’s one of those where he needs a strong team around him.’
