English football fans have a new reason to celebrate as young Socceroos star Nestory Irankunda has signed a five-year deal with Championship side Watford. The Hornets announced the signing on their website late Friday, with club sporting director Gian Luca Nani expressing his excitement over the acquisition.

"Nestory was extremely sought after, and thanks to our established scouting network and connections, we were able to be ahead of others in the race to sign players of this potential," said Nani. "Crucially, we were able to move quickly when opportunities like this arise, and that's been the hallmark of our successful recruitment."

A Rising Talent

Irankunda, known for his dazzling backflips when celebrating goals, is an unquestionable talent who struggled to get game time at Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich. However, at Watford, he is set to get the consistent playing time he needs to develop further.

"Nestory can be a very special player, and we believe he can realize his potential here," Nani added. "He is exactly the sort of profile Paulo (coach Paulo Pezzolano) wanted in a winger. The player wanted to come here as he sees the pathway, he has seen how we develop young players at Watford, and the vision we have for this club."

A Promising Career

Named as one of goal.com's 'top 50 wonderkids' in March last year, Irankunda made 15 appearances for Bayern Munich's second string, scoring four goals. He also had a loan spell at Grasshopper Club Zurich, where he played 19 times and scored once.

Irankunda first 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 just 15. Over three seasons, he made 61 appearances for the club, scoring 16 goals and jointly winning the A-League's Young-Player-of-the-Year award at the end of 2023/24.

International Success

With five Socceroos caps to his name, Irankunda scored his maiden international goal in the World Cup qualifier against Palestine in June last year under then-coach Graham Arnold. His move to Watford is seen as a crucial step in his development, especially with next year's World Cup in mind.

"We are absolutely delighted to have signed Nestory, and he's added further to the huge feel-good factor around the training ground," Nani concluded. "We're thrilled to have you with us, Nestory!"

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