DENVER, Colorado -- With another goalscoring window under his belt, Socceroos phenom Nestory Irankunda feels like he belongs at the international level, with his sights set on what he wants to be the first of many FIFA World Cups.
Irankunda started and scored the lone goal in Australia's 1-0 win over Canada in Montréal last Friday, before going on as a substitute and forcing Matt Freese into an 89th-minute save in their 2-1 loss to the United States in Denver on Tuesday -- the first time that Australia have lost under Tony Popovic.
October marked the second straight window the youngster had been called up by Popovic, after an eleven-month absence, previously netting in the second leg of the Soccer Ashes and going agonisingly close to grabbing a second with a long-range missile of a free kick.
Having spent the previous year getting much-needed senior experience on loan at Swiss club Grasshopper and then with Watford in the English League Championship after a permanent move from Bayern Munich, the teenager is now feeling at home on the international stage.
"Take on the world," he grinned when the notion was put to him. "Yeah, for sure. I can't really back down; keep taking every game with confidence, and keep striving.
"I feel comfortable at the level. Obviously, it took me a few months, a few years, to get comfortable. But I feel like now that I've played in a few more professional games, I feel a lot more confident.
"Just trying to adapt to coaches and different positions. I feel like I've done well to adapt in the short period of time that I've been away from the winger positions -- pretty happy."
Aware of the fierce hype that surrounds Irankunda, the Socceroos have sought to be careful with his progression. Popovic, aware of his potential, has, meanwhile, repeatedly challenged him to remain consistent and keep adding to his game away from camp.
"Getting more shots off inside the box, more than outside the box," Irankunda said of his coach's feedback. "I've scored a few outside the box. But while I've been here in camp with the boss, I've scored open-play goals, which is what we've had discussions about. It's what he wants me to do."
Regardless of attempts to manage the noise, Irankunda's performances with the Socceroos and Watford are shaping him, if he can maintain his trajectory, as a member of next June's World Cup squad.
In a similar boat is his friend Mohamed Toure, who sometimes refers to Irankunda as his "little brother" and who provided the assist for the goal against Canada. Toure has taken on board his own feedback from Popovic, too, telling ESPN that the off-field tools he's picking up in camp are playing a major role in his development.
"It's exciting times," Irankunda said. "It's what [he and Toure] talk about every time away from camp.
"That's what we've been talking about since the first day we met: to push each other and try to play at the highest level, especially for the national team, and go to World Cups.
"Not just one World Cup, but multiple World Cups.
"It's good to be in camp [together]. Me, him, and Connor [Metcalfe] have been doing well -- I don't feel like Connor gets the praise that he deserves."
For all Irankunda's recent progress, a new challenge will greet him when he lands back in England: the first in-season managerial change of his senior club career.
Sitting 11th in the Championship, Watford sacked head coach Paulo Pezzolano during the international break and swiftly replaced him with the returning Javi Gracia.
Previously taking charge of the Hornets from January 2018 to November 2019, Gracia's initial 20th-month spell at Vicarage Road represents the longest of any Watford coach in the past 14 years; Pezzolano was the 12th manager appointed by the club since the end of Gracia's first tenure.
"I'm not sure [what to expect], Irankunda said. "I'll just go back and try to do the same thing that I'm doing here, and what I was doing at the start of the season: just playing well, trying to get goals, trying to improve, and just trying to help my teams, national team and club team, at the same time.
"I'll try to build a good relationship with the coach as well when I get back.
"[Living in England] has been great. Obviously, I'm there by myself, no family. But it's a challenge. It's a challenge, but I've accepted it. Got to keep doing it
"Being in an English-speaking environment] is a lot better for me. I loved my time in Germany. But obviously, the language in England helps a lot more. You feel comfortable talking to people. Very happy there."