Adelaide United boss Carl Veart was full of praise for Nestory Irankunda following his return to the starting XI as he explained the process behind the teenage star’s development in the Isuzu UTE A-League.
Irankunda was back in the line-up for Thursday night’s 2-2 draw at home to high-flying Wellington Phoenix, having spent the previous three matches among the substitutes.
The Bayern Munich-bound sensation was a threat throughout Coopers Stadium in Round 11 and his pace, power and vision helped tee up Hiroshi Ibusuki for the 55th-minute equaliser.
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Veart was asked about the 17-year-old forward post-match and he told reporters: “With all our young players, it’s about developing them and getting them to understand what it requires to play at the highest level.
“We’ve been not just with Nestory but all our young players. It’s about them understanding what they need to do and what brings them success.
“We were unhappy with some of the things he was doing so he had a little bit of a spell.
“I thought his response was outstanding. He was the most dangerous player on the pitch by a long way.”
Veart added: “Nestor is still learning. We still need to remember his age and he’s still learning what works for him both on and off the field.
“To be an elite professional footballer a lot has to do with what you do away from training and games. The way you prepare yourself, the way you sleep and eat. That all comes into a lot of focus.
“He is still learning that. You can’t expect a 17-18-year-old know what to do with his own body. He is still working that out. But we will keep working with him.
“We’re very fortunate we still have him for the rest of the season. He is exciting. He makes everyone smile, doesn’t he?”
