Bayern Munich wonderkid REFUSES to play for his country after being hit with stunning Olympics snub

Nestory Irankunda has reportedly rejected the chance to represent his country, Australia, after he was initially left out over fears his inclusion might ‘damage’ him.

According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Adelaide star Irankunda – who is set to move to German powerhouse Bayern Munich this summer – had been sounded out to replace the injured Marco Tillo for Olympic qualifiers in Qatar.

However, the 18-year-old turned down the chance to join Tony Vidmar’s team for the under-23 Asian Cup – which also acts as qualifiers for the Paris Games.

The same report claims that Irankunda opted to play at least four more fixtures in Adelaide before leaving for Germany, rather than going to Qatar and not playing at all.

Irankunda’s decision is a welcome boost for the A-League, with the 18-year-old undeniably the biggest name in the competition. 

The Bayern Munich-bound star snubbed the Olyroos for their Paris qualifiers

Football Australia maintains, however, that Irankunda did not reject a call up and the governing body were merely ‘testing the waters’ about Qatar and were mindful of his fast-approaching move to Europe. 

Irankunda’s snub is a major blow for the Olyroos and their bid to reach Paris, while it raises further questions about the need to balance the youngster’s development with Australia’s immediate need for his talents.

‘The person is number one. And I think that’s something that we have to really look after first,’ Vidmar said last week. 

‘I could be selfish, and just bring him in for the sake of it, but dealing with players and having that relationship with them, you find out so much more about him, and we feel that the bigger picture is the national team, the Socceroos.

‘You want to be talking about him for the next 15 years as a national team player … we’re looking down the road for him.’ 

Irankunda has scored six goals and provided six assists for United this season.