As Mile Jedinak slotted his free kick past Ron-Robert Ziegler to take Australia 2-1 up against Germany last week, he wheeled away towards the Socceroos bench in celebration. There waiting for him was Chris Ikonomidis, rushing off his feet to congratulate his new skipper.
For the fresh face in the Australia camp the embrace that followed was a special moment, and one that could become a common feature over the next few years.
While Ikonomidis did not make it onto the pitch for his debut in Kaiserslautern, where the Socceroos outplayed their more illustrious opponents in a 2-2 draw, it was the first step towards fulfilling a vision that has been burning strong since he was just a kid playing football in Cronulla.
“Some of these guys were my idols when I was a little boy,” Ikonomidis says from the Hilton Hotel in Mainz, Germany.
“It’s always been a dream to play for Australia. I received calls from the Greece youth sides but I only wanted to hear about the Aussie ones.”
Proudly decked out in an official Socceroos polo and constantly sporting an infectious grin, the 19-year-old’s place in Postecoglou’s current squad contrasts starkly with his prospects four years ago.
After playing with Sutherland Sharks for five years, scoring more than a hundred goals, both the AIS and Sydney FC overlooked the attacking midfielder after failing to recognise his potential.
“The doors were kind of closing but I believed in my talent,” Ikonomidis says.
“I was always confident and I thought I could go for it and go the hard way in Europe and try and make it there.”
At just 15 years, Ikonomidis made his way to Europe, and a move to Serie A club Atalanta followed after they noticed him at a Nike Cup tournament in England. Two years later, Ikonomidis found his way to SS Lazio, one of Italy’s most illustrious clubs, where he now regularly turns out for the youth side in the Campionato Nazionale Primavera.
As our cappuccinos arrive – unfortunately very un-Italian, with the German-style ton of shapeless and tasteless white froth heaped on top – Ikonomidis opens up about how he has embraced moving away from home as a teenager and embarking on a challenge not many people have the guts to do.
“It was tough, definitely,” he says.
“But there was never any doubt, it’s what I’ve wanted to do since I was four. And when Atalanta came calling I made the move straight away.”
The lifestyle in Italy was a large reason why Ikonomidis jumped at the opportunity with Atalanta, and then with Lazio. Rather than taking a more comfortable route in a city or country where English was widely spoken, Ikonomidis focused on what was best for his development.
For an attacking player, one that can play anywhere across the front third, the Italians’ history of developing youth, especially players adept in the technical and aesthetically pleasing aspects of football, was a perfect fit.
And the decision has paid off. This season has been an unequivocal success, with Ikonomidis banging home 15 goals in just 22 matches from the left wing, while he has been included in a number of first-team match day squads.
That form is what convinced Socceroos manager Ange Postecoglou to take a punt on the youngster.
Yet the rise has not been as smooth as it sounds. Ikonomidis’ 2011 move to Atalanta, a club based in Bergamo about 40 kilometres from Milan, was difficult to handle at first. In a foreign land without a grasp of the language, training was the first obstacle.
“I went from training two days a week with Sutherland to five days a week in Italy,” he says.
“After the first few months I was done physically. It really took it out of me. Physically it was a big step up. But I grew up a lot in that time and I think Atalanta was really important in my development.”
After work came his social life, which also suffered in his first tentative years. Bergamo has a population of just 100,000 and was not the most inviting environment according to Ikonomidis. Competition in Italy is fierce, where kids grow up with football in their heads, hearts and feet.
“They were out to kill me,” Ikonomidis admits.
“Some of these guys had been training here their whole life and had nothing and I came in from Australia with a contract. It was really tough.
“They put me into my own room and hardly anyone talked to me for the first year. It was a lot more closed than in Rome.
“Luckily I was only ever six or seven weeks by myself, someone from back home was always coming over to visit me so that helped a lot.”
Now fluent in Italian, however, Ikonomidis has settled into life with Lazio well and that has translated onto the field.
He lives just outside Rome’s city centre, not too far from Lazio’s training ground, in the idyllic surrounds of Lake Bracciano, a large fresh-water lake overlooked by a 15th century castle, the Castello Orsini-Odescalchi.
“I can leave the training ground and go to the lake, have a coffee, relax and then head back to training. I can’t complain,” Ikonomidis says.
Outside of football Ikonomidis is just a 19-year-old still enjoying his youth. He’s met an Italian girl, has just recently acquired his Italian driving license and is thriving in the culture and passion of the historical and charismatic Eternal City.
“I have a group of friends outside of football, which I think is really important. Just to escape from it all. At the start I missed home but now I’m just loving it. It’s a great lifestyle and the people are very relaxed there.”
It is a perfect example of how off-field contentment and on-field success are interrelated. At the start of the 2014-15 season, comfortable in his new environment, Ikonomidis was introduced to first-team training and joined Lazio’s Serie A squad for pre-season friendlies.
It has been the catalyst that has given him the confidence to blossom in his breakout year for the youth team. And whereas moving from Sutherland Sharks to Atalanta and then onto Lazio youth was a huge step physically, his challenge this season was more demanding.
“Moving to the first team wasn’t as physical, it was more technical. That was another level. On the technical side I think I’ve improved a lot,” Ikonomidis says.
“I think training full-time with the first team and being involved in the pre-season games was also really important for my confidence. And I’ve taken that into the youth team.”
In a strange way Ikonomidis can feel grateful to those who failed him back home. The apprenticeship he is serving at Lazio, and before that with Atalanta, far outweighs the education he would have received in Australia.
He plays under former Italy international Simone Inzaghi and it sounds like there is no comparison when it comes to the intensity, frequency, competition and passion of training. Without that experience it is uncertain whether Ikonomidis would currently be training with the Socceroos.
The international call-up itself was of course a surprise for Ikonomidis, whose attention was firmly on winning a place in Aurelio Vidmar’s Olyroos squad for Olympic qualifiers in Taiwan.
Yet Postecoglou is a different beast to what Australian football has been used to under previous managers. Youth is not a barrier and inexperience a non-factor. It represents a big opportunity for Ikonomidis to follow in the steps of childhood idols Harry Kewell and Mark Viduka, who also debuted for the Socceroos in their teens.
“It’s an international camp so everyone’s got things to prove and everyone puts their body on the line,” Ikonomidis says.
“James [Troisi] has helped me a lot, I’ve known him since my time at Atlanta three years ago and we formed a friendship there. He’s kind of guided me through this whole experience and really helped me out off the pitch as well.”
The excitement around the Australian national team is evident, from fans back home to the media and the players themselves. Postecoglou has been at the centre of that shift in mentality and for Ikonomidis it is an “exciting time”, particularly following the Germany result. Even Lazio teammate Miroslav Klose has spoken with Ikonomidis about Australia’s progression.
“When I first went over [to Italy] I was written off completely [as an Australian]. But now when you mention you’re Australian they’re like ‘ohhh you’re an up and coming nation’ and so there’s a bit more respect,” Ikonomidis says.
“We’re playing attractive football and it’s a different mindset to what [the national team] has been used to.”
The Socceroos are now in Macedonia, preparing for Monday night’s match against a largely unknown opponent. After watching the stalemate with Germany from the bench Ikonomidis is hopeful of making his dream debut.
Yet regardless of whether he does get pitch time against Macedonia, Ikonomidis will be going back to Lazio as an Australia first team squad member, which will only assist his quest to secure a first team debut with his club.
At just 19 there is still a lot more work ahead for Ikonomidis to become a complete footballer. But you get the feeling that coaches will have little trouble convincing a player who fought for his career at just 15 that he needs to keep pushing.
Italy has taken hold of Ikonomidis’ heart, just as the national side did in the 2006 World Cup when he was only nine years old. He has integrated into the country’s culture, both socially and in football, and having Australia’s young stars in environments filled with such a rich football history will only benefit the Socceroos.
“The passion is just incredible. Our [youth] derbies against Roma get 6000 people. And it’s an amazing feeling to be the first non-Italian captain of the reserve team,” Ikonomidis says.
“[The fans] are great. They’re always waiting after training and because I’m young I like to have a chat with them.
“Even though it wasn’t easy for me at the start, I think I made the right choice. I think I’m close to breaking through in Italy and I want to stay there.”
From the beaches of Cronulla to the beaches of Bracciano, it has not been an easy path for Ikonomidis to professionalism. But his European adventure is starting to kick off and has been rewarded with an earlier than expected international call-up.
The joyous scenes involving Jedinak and Ikonomidis in the Germany match appear set to continue.
Follow Janek on Twitter @JanekSpeight
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