Nestory Irankunda has celebrated his Socceroos recall with another sensational goal for his English Championship club Watford in the Hornets’ 2-2 home draw with Southampton.
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For the second time in two matches, the former A-League prodigy – who joined Watford in the off-season from German giants Bayern Munich – netted a long-distance free-kick, with his latest strike ensuring the Hornets’ secured a share of the points at Vicarage Road.
The goal game less than two days after 19-year-old Irankunda was named in Australia’s squad for the upcoming two-game “Soccer Ashes” series against New Zealand.
Having been overlooked for the three previous Socceroo squads, the ex-Adelaide United star is in ominous form ahead of Friday night’s first game of the series in Canberra.
“I scored the week before, the same goal, (and I’m) happy to get the goal again from a free-kick,” said Irankunda, who this time included one of his trademark backflips in his post-goal celebrations.
“People asked me for a backflip, and I promised them that I’d do a backflip.”
Watford head coach Paulo Pezzolano told the club’s website: “We knew about Nestory’s quality. He showed that at his other teams.
“I can’t remember seeing anyone score two free kicks like that in successive games — those were perfect and beautiful free kicks.
“But I am going to be on top of Nestory because he has to keep on growing and developing.
“He has to understand that he needs to keep on working. There is so much more that he can achieve.”
Elsewhere in weekend English Championship action, Australian attacker Adrian Segecic, who was also named in the latest Socceroos squad, was part of a Portsmouth team that beat Preston North End 1-0.
Socceroos defender Hayden Matthews was an unused substitute for Pompey, while Australian under-23 international Thomas Waddingham came off the bench for the winners.
Sam Silvera, who has also earnt a Socceroos recall, started for Middlesbrough in the English Championship leaders’ 1-0 win over Sheffield United.
Also celebrating victory was Socceroos centre-back Cameron Burgess, whose Swansea City team won 2-0 away against Sheffield Wednesday.
Another Socceroos defender, Alessanrdo Circati, started for Parma in the Italian Serie A club’s 1-1 home draw with Atalanta.
Meanwhile in Spain, Socceroos captain and goalkeeper Mat Ryan, who wasn’t selected for the games against New Zealand, started in his new club Levante’s 2-0 loss to Elche.
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