Life as a professional footballer is a very brief one, statistics show it normally lasts between eight to eleven years and by the time it’s all over, many players are in a worse place financially than when they started.
It is important to have a qualification in a chosen field away from football when that time comes. As a result, many teenage footballers are balancing studies with playing professionally.
Part of the reason for Adelaide United’s success over the past few seasons and hopefully for many more to come, is how they instill a work ethic in the classroom for their teenage tyros.
Nestory Irankunda has had to constantly cope with fellow students, as well as teachers, at Parafield Gardens High School stopping him for a selfie and a chat. Musa Toure is following in the footsteps of his elder brothers at a school that has had a lot of talented footballers come through their doors, Underdale High School.
Nestory Irankunda is simply one of the most stunning football talents Australia has ever seen. (Photo by Sarah Reed/Getty Images)
Then there is the latest prodigy, 17-year-old Luka Jovanovic, who has quite the drive from his parent’s home in the western suburbs to get to Adelaide United’s training ground in the northern suburb of Playford.
Once he has completed training, it is another lengthy drive to study at Henley Beach High School. In peak hour traffic, that can be an hour and a half in transit.
It is not unusual for Jovanovic to arrive late to school, due to extra training sessions. The talented teen is then expected to study through the night until he goes to bed.
It is quite common for young Australian children with heritage from the Balkans to be self-taught by their fathers at an early age and it was no different in the Jovanovic household.
Luka’s dad was a striker for one of Serbian footballs biggest clubs, Partizan Belgrade and he honed his son’s skills in his infancy, particularly in terms of shooting and the movement required to be a striker.
Jovanovic has been well known to Adelaide United coaching staff since being a standout playing for Football South Australia’s NTC’s Under 13 side.
He looked set for his Adelaide United debut as a 16-year-old, only to be cruelly denied by an anterior cruciate ligament tear which saw him miss the entire 2021 season.
Jovanovic came back stronger and hungrier in 2022 and scored 12 goals in 22 matches for Adelaide United’s NPL side, before starting the 2023 season in blistering form, scoring 4 goals in 1 match.
After training with United’s A League squad for the better part of 12 months, Jovanovic finally got some luck in 2023, which came at the expense of teammates George Blackwood and Hiroshi Ibusuki, who both went down with injuries.
Jovanovic has bagged two goals in two matches and his dynamism, has allowed Adelaide to attack far more fluently.
Although not the tallest striker, Jovanovic is hard running and equally adept with both feet and has always had the ability of being in the right place at the right time. He also has the uncanny knack of improvising a shot when needed.
While his performances on the pitch are rightly being praised, it is his strong work ethic away from it that has really impressed Adelaide United coaching staff.
Jovanovic is always happy to pack up the equipment after training and work more on his shooting and positioning under the watchful eye of Australian club footballs greatest ever striker Damian Mori.
The coaching staff also expects Jovanovic and the several other talented high school attending players, to keep up with their studies and their grades; education is just as highly valued at Adelaide United as football ability.
It may seem like a punishment, but being a high school student trying to become a professional footballer in Australia is a privilege and not everyone is blessed with that opportunity.
chris1
Roar Rookie
SW I appreciate what you are saying. Where I coach the fathers all congregate and I'm sure are questioning methods, tactics etc. When you have fathers that have played professionally and internationally at the highest levels, they are very much entitled to their opinion. As long as you keep winning you can keep them at bay haha.
Sheffield WesDay
Roar Rookie
I should also say, that I never interfere with what they learn at training. They have great coaches who work hard and are committed to the team. They are also at a very supportive club that value player development over winning trophies. But I think it was an interesting comment "consider or value is where parents who have a deep knowledge and love of the game can pass that on …". Players of the past were unashamedly developed by their families, friends, communities, providing a vast and wide spread array of skills, strengths, priorities and values in our players. It seems to have become very clinical now days. But I suppose that is the natural progression of elite sport.
James584
Roar Rookie
17? Rightio.
Lionheart
Roar Rookie
the other states are doing ok, if national youth championships are anything to go by
Lionheart
Roar Rookie
Jamie Young’s been studying for a PHD, maybe finished by now, so too a couple of others. Gillette, the referee now in England went to the UK to complete his PHD and kept refereeing, in the EPL it so happens. Griifith Uni and also QLD TAFE have tertiary courses on football, not sure of the contents but they study various aspects like refereeing, administration, psychology, training and physio, that kind of stuff which is helpful for a young footballer both while playing but most importantly afterward so they can continue with a career in administration, coaching, sports med, etc. Big clubs I know of in England link with schools not just on the field, but off the park so they encourage kids into all aspects of their club from catering and grounds maintenance to coaching and the rest. It’s an industry when it gets going.
TheSecretScout
Roar Guru
how can i discuss this, without incriminating myself, or people i know at NPL? lol doesnt matter if its adelaide, melbourne or perth - i think its fair to say at NPL juniors level, it can heavily be about your ethnic background, who you know at the club and financially how well off your parents are - i'll leave it at that lol but at the same token - just because a childs father played in serie b in italy, does not give him the authority to try and tell a coach who has got the right accreditation to be coaching a certain age group, how to do the job he studied for as critical as i am of coaching in australia, im well aware it is an extremely difficult job without much reward most of the time
Lionheart
Roar Rookie
not sure what you mean, he was at QAS, and at school in Rothwell, before Roar. Why was he on your list in SA, a million miles away. I'm sure they're good coaches, but not for Roar thanks.
TheSecretScout
Roar Guru
i cant answer that, perhaps the owners weren't willing to take a chance on a local at the time and felt there was better value looking at SA - which is also producing great coaches (Eg paul pezos, barney smith, damien mori) who deserve professional roles
Sheffield WesDay
Roar Rookie
An interesting comment about Dads at training. I feel now with all the required licenses for coaching this wealth of knowledge is often overlooked. I started playing at age 6 and have not missed a season until last year at age 39 did my ACL and have been hobbling ever since. Now, I may have not played professionally or NPL/NSL, but I know the game. I have seen the trends in football tactics and formation as well as training focusses and "best Practice" come and go, and I am a teacher and understand the process of learning, practicing analysing, planning, assessing, improving, encouraging....... But in this day of required coaching licenses I feel I am constantly dismissed as if I have nothing to offer. I have 3 boys that all play in NPL academy programs, are constantly winning coaches choice, or Rising Star, or MVP (whatever each club chooses to call their yearly awards). It is not a coincidence that my boys have great touch, game knowledge, movement and most importantly a love for the game. They all grew up on the side of the pitch watching me and each other play. We have spent countless hours in the back yard on a daily basis, 90% of our conversations are about football/ A League/ Fantasy football....... They had that before the qualified coaches got their hands on them. Where do they think it came from??
Lionheart
Roar Rookie
why would a young school kid from Redcliffe, Rothwell at the time, have a guy from Adelaide as his manager? that seems awfully odd.
Midfielder
Roar Guru
interesting
NoMates
Roar Rookie
Look he is def older then his publicized age of 17. Ok he might no be 28 but def in his 20s. Adelaide have always been good at coverups but in the end get found out.
Brainstrust
Roar Rookie
No way Irukunda is that old, what I would like to see is school photos when he first came here, Adu at 13 in the USA when he was pictured with Pele lifting him up as a baby was the same height and weight as he has been during his career. People were expecting that Adu would grow to be huge plus be the next great player, but in reality they were probably seeing a fully grown 20 yeard old . CCM their African imports from Portugal both look much older. The 17 year old African from Lazio who looked 40 has dissapeared.
Midfielder
Roar Guru
you miss my point ... I think.... There are less Dads with a deep knowledge passing on their knowledge.... I can recall the type of Dads you are talking about... my worst memory was I was coach of an U 14 Div 1 team for my local club and we had reached the final 8 in champions of champions... and we were playing Marconi.... My team was essentially drawn together from locals with some parents very interested others not so... whereas Marconi parents where in this game insane with at one stage three parents having to be stopped going on the field ... We won and the carry on made me decide never to coach a Div 1 side again...
TheSecretScout
Roar Guru
its possible, how many years ago are we talking? i've been a frequent visitor to metrostars training as well as matches in the last few years, theres a lot of really good talent at the club (still a bit dissapointed that united didnt pick up ariath piol, they may regret that move if he breaks into the wanderers first team ) players with african heritage are just naturally blessed with athletisicm, power, speed, trickery in the same way players with heritage from the balkans in the 90's were blessed with natural technical ability. - the common denominator for both groups is they came from either war torn or improvished countries decision making comes as you get older and very supportive coaches who put trust in you in game situations
TheSecretScout
Roar Guru
powell was on my list several years ago, very tidy little player - unfortunately he has been through something extremely traumatic at a young age. he's shown hes a fighter and if he can make it back to a league level, he is exactly the sort of person i would have doing talks (if hes comfortable with that) to players in the 14-16 year age group on his journey its a great inspirational story, which younger players can benefit from
TheSecretScout
Roar Guru
100% agree with your statement Jovanovic has had that know how in the box (his dad was the same) since SA NTC days its rare in a young australian teenager to already possess that skill he can play deeper as well (AM or SS) which he hasnt done with uniteds first team yet, in those roles he'll arrive late and finish a move (very common when he was with the npl side) spoken alot about irakunda on here, (want to give him a rest lol) all about jovanovic currently
TheSecretScout
Roar Guru
self taught is all well and good to a degree, but it can become detrimental to the player. i've seen no end of dads argue with coaches because they played in europe, south america etc that they know better than a fully accredited coach in australia. - you could go to any NPL juniors game in australia on most weekends and you'll experience something similar. i've had parents threaten me to my face and follow me to my car, all while there young son looks on - incidents like that become learned behaviors at a crucial age of a childs developement (eg my dads yelling at someone, its ok for me to yell at someone etc etc) being the son of an ex player (especially an ex professional one) is never easy, failure is more than likely due to the pressures of an over bearing parent
JoshW
Roar Rookie
It may have been you Andy, several years ago I had a half hour conversation at a MetroStars match about African heritage kids coming through the ranks in Adelaide. We seemed to be in agreeance that kids who hadn't come through the education system here from Kindergarten lacked some skill in the decision making area. That's why you'd often see super fast players with very poor end product, they'd lose the ball in the box after burning down the wing. I wonder at what stage Nestory started schooling here? Once we see kids born here with the same heritage and have the benefit of full schooling then we're in for a real treat.
NoMates
Roar Rookie
17 going on 28.