It was the moment aspiring young footballers dream of and work their way through the elite paths in Australia to achieve.

However, the milestone that was Chris Ikonomidis' debut for Lazio last week was not a success story of Australian development but of a player who made it despite being ignored by our system.

The 20-year-old Australian international made his first start for the Roman giants in a 1-1 draw away to St Etienne in the Europa League, playing 84 minutes alongside some famed names of European football. He admits there were more than a few nerves, plenty of emotion and also the satisfaction of issuing the greatest reply to his many detractors back home.

"I left home when I turned 16 so I was still a boy. All the homesickness, all the challenges I faced in the last few years of being left out, told I wouldn't make it – it made it really satisfying to walk into a stadium like that along players like Matri, Felipe Anderson and Klose. It was quite emotional," Ikonomidis said.