Griffin Sports: Adelaide United’s Nestory Irankunda heads for the big time with Bayern Munich
15.11.2023
An Adelaide United young gun is officially part of one of the biggest sporting deals in his home city’s history.
Michael McGuire – The Advertiser
Adelaide United young gun Nestory Irankunda has been signed by German giants Bayern Munich, landing the Reds a multi-year deal reportedly worth $A5.8 million, plus add-ons.
It will also give the 17-year-old the opportunity to play for one of the biggest clubs in world football.
It is the latest chapter in the remarkable life story of a prodigious talent, which started in a refugee camp in Tanzania where Irankunda was born after parents Gideon and Dafroza fled war-torn Burundi.
The family moved initially to Perth when Irankunda was still a baby before settling in Adelaide’s northern suburbs.
Irankunda will play out the current A-League season with Adelaide before heading to Germany in July, where he will share the field with global superstars such as England captain Harry Kane and German World Cup winner Thomas Muller.
Irankunda said being signed by Bayern was a “real dream come true’’.
“I’ve worked hard to try and make my family proud,’’ said Irankunda, who has two older brothers and five younger sisters.
“It’s going to be great to be able to see out the season with Adelaide United and try and have some success.
“The coaches have looked after me and taught me so much, my teammates have always had my back and the members and fans have been so good to me, so I hope to be able to help repay that before I move.”
The fee for Irankunda is more than the $1 million Adelaide received when it sold former captain Craig Goodwin in September to Saudi Arabian club Al-Wehda.
It is also understood the fee has the potential to rise further depending on Irankunda’s success at Bayern and the number of games he plays.
It will also mean a big pay rise for Irankunda, who is still on a scholarship contract at Adelaide.
Irankunda signed for Adelaide as a 15-year-old in 2021 from Adelaide Croatia, after playing junior football at Parafield Gardens and Northern Wolves.
He has scored nine goals in 38 games, the most by a player under the age of 20 in A-League history, all followed by his trademark backflips.
Swarv Kania was the under-10s coach at Parafield Gardens when he spotted Irankunda having a kick with his brothers.
Kania knew immediately Irankunda was a special talent.
“I spotted him at the other side of the park and I thought ‘I need that kid in my team’,’’ he said.
Kania would make sure Irankunda made training and drove him to games, but it was worth the effort.
“He would have to be the best kid I have ever seen,’’ he said. “He would take on the whole team and score.’’
Kania said in difficult games he would play Irankunda in defence where “he would just clean up but still manage to score a few goals’’.
Irankunda’s agent Adrian Griffin said the player’s family had made sacrifices to make sure he had every chance to make it.
The family could not afford for all three brothers to play because fees were too high, so they stopped so their younger brother could continue.
Griffin said Bayern had become interested in Irankunda earlier in the year after he scored in games against Western United and Melbourne Victory. They were taken by his ability to deliver a thunderous strike, his dribbling skills and his speed – all talents that have made him a favourite among Adelaide fans.
Griffin said Bayern were not the only big club interested in Irankunda.
“There was a lot of interest from different tiers of clubs, but there were some big clubs also interested,’’ he said.
Griffin said one of the reasons Irankunda chose Bayern was that they had a good record of developing young players, pointing to Canadian international Alphonso Davies who was signed as an 18-year-old and Jamal Musiala who was the youngest player to be picked for Germany.
“Bayern probably have one of the best track records of developing players in that country,’’ he said.
Bayern is also one of the most successful clubs in Europe. It has won the last 11 German titles and won the Champions League six times.
Adelaide United chief executive officer Nathan Kosmina said it was “an exciting opportunity for Nestory and his family for him to go to one of the biggest clubs in the world’’.
“We are proud of Nestory and the role our club has played in his development,’’ he said.
Kosmina said because Irankunda would play out the season in Adelaide, fans should enjoy the opportunity “to see one of the world’s brightest young talents play at Coopers Stadium for the entirety of the Isuzu UTE A-League 2023/24 season”.
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