Adelaide United coach Carl Veart commended teenage talent Nestory Irankunda after his outstanding display in the Reds’ 4-1 A-League Men victory over Western United.
Irankunda opened the scoring on 19 minutes and then scored two quick goals at the beginning of the second half to secure his hat-trick, making him the youngest male player in the A-League era to achieve this feat.
Veart expressed his happiness for the 18-year-old, acknowledging the challenges he faced this season after signing with Bayern Munich last year.
“I’m pleased to see him rewarded for his hard work over the past few months,” he said.
“It’s been a tough year for him with high expectations from the media and fans.”
“I think we’re starting to see his maturity shine through, and his performance tonight was very impressive, as it has been for the last few weeks.”
“I’m happy for him, and I believe it shows that with hard work and focus, he can deliver such performances.”
Despite some inconsistent performances, Irankunda has showcased his talent with six goals and four assists this season.
Veart acknowledged that inconsistency is common for young players.
“It’s challenging for young players to find consistency as they are still learning what works for them,” he said.
“He has high expectations of himself. He’s still young, so it’s important for him to enjoy the game, relax, make mistakes, and learn.”
Western coach John Aloisi agreed with Veart, admitting his team struggled to contain the talented teenager bound for Germany.
“He’s one of the most talented players I’ve seen in Australia; no doubt about it,” he said.
“Tonight, he made the difference; we couldn’t stop him. He was too powerful, too skilled. He dominated us.”
The visitors scored a consolation goal through Michael Ruhs on 50 minutes before Zach Clough sealed Adelaide’s win with a penalty in the final 10 minutes.
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AAP
