‘That irritates players’: Why Irankunda has a target on his back for the Socceroos

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The same qualities that make Nestory Irankunda such a beacon of hope for the Socceroos also make him a target for the teams they play against.

What do you do when you come up against a player with such rapid, line-breaking, match-winning speed, and an aggressive attitude to match?

Kick him into submission, of course. Or try to get inside his head and lure him into a scrap.

Or both.

In nine games this season for Watford, Irankunda has drawn 16 free-kicks, making him one of the most fouled players in the English Championship – which, in a way, is the ultimate mark of respect. He received the same treatment in the A-League, but didn’t always deal with it well.

That treatment is following him into the international arena – which is exactly why his teammates say they need to look out for him, protect him from the opposition and intervene before the red mist descends.

Nestory Irankunda is the man of the moment for the Socceroos.

“His way of playing can irritate players,” defender Alessandro Circati said. “With his speed, he can take you one v one, put you in the space, and maybe you’re forced to foul him. That irritates players.

“He’s still very young, he’s still got a lot of football ahead of him, a lot of things to learn, lots of maturity to take in and lots of experience.

“Slowly, slowly he’ll understand everything, and he’ll be able to do it all alone – but for the moment, I think everyone’s backing him and everyone’s willing to help him.”

The 19-year-old almost lost his head in the closing moments of Australia’s 1-0 heated win over Canada on Saturday (AEDT), in which he scored the decisive goal – his second in two starts for the Socceroos.

The ball was already en route to Irankunda as the referee whistled for a foul against Australia in the second minute of injury time. He gently booted it away, receiving not only a yellow card but a two-handed shove from Canada’s Joel Waterman, which sparked a scuffle between players from both sides

It threatened to get ugly, but the situation was expertly diffused when Maty Ryan intervened from the bench, coach Tony Popovic walked Irankunda away in a bear hug, and then subbed him out of the match.

Popovic would not reveal what he told Irankunda in the moment, but had he not stepped in, he might not be available for Wednesday’s (midday, AEDT) friendly in Colorado against another World Cup co-host, the United States.

“I told the boys – well, specifically Nestor, because he was probably the one most involved – to keep it going and most importantly, not get sent off,” said Circati, who was wearing the captain’s armband in Ryan’s on-field absence.

“And then, obviously, the boss made the right decision in taking him off to possibly avoid that, because there was a bit of heat and heads were starting to get a bit fiery.

“We just had to stay calm. That’s part of the game ... most important is staying 11 on the field.”