Watford sign Nestory Irankunda on five-year deal

Watford, July 19 (IANS) Watford have completed the signing of Australian forward Nestory Irankunda from Bayern Munich on a five-year deal for an undisclosed fee.

Irankunda burst onto the scene at Adelaide United during the 2021/22 season, making his debut and scoring his first goal directly from a free-kick when he was still just 15.

He would go on to make 61 appearances for the club over three seasons, scoring 16 goals and jointly winning the A-League’s Young Player of the Year award at the end of 2023/24.

Other personal accolades included Adelaide’s Rising Star award and a place in the A-League’s all-star squad for a game against Barcelona.

The youngster also showed off his lightning pace in a clash with Central Coast Mariners in October 2023, generating headlines by clocking a speed of 37.02 km/h.

Named as one of goal.com’s ‘top 50 wonderkids’ in March last year, Irankunda began the 2024/25 season with Bayern where he had the opportunity to train with Vincent Kompany’s first team and tour South Korea.

He was an unused substitute twice, including for a UEFA Champions League game against Shakhtar Donetsk last December.

Irankunda made 15 appearances for the German side’s second string and scored four goals before being handed the chance of top-flight football with a loan to Grasshopper Club Zurich.

This proved to be a useful exercise with the teenager playing 19 times for the Swiss Super League side, scoring once.

Internationally, Irankunda has been capped five times by Australia with his first goal arriving in a World Cup qualifier against Palestine in June 2024.

Watford will kick off their new Championship season on August 9 with an away fixture against newly promoted Charlton Athletic.

--IANS

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