Sacrifices do pay off. Just ask Chris Ikonomidis, who is now reaping the rewards from what he says is the best decision he's ever made.

Ikonomidis was celebrating his 16th birthday when he received an offer to join the youth system at Serie A club Atalanta. At an age when most young men are learning how to party, Ikonomidis decided to move his life to the other side of the world to learn how to play soccer the Italian way - leaving his family, friends and all the comforts of home behind.

Chris Ikonomidis (right) is enjoying his stint at Perth. Credit:AAP

It was no picnic. Ikonomidis shifted to Lazio after 18 months in Italy but never broke through to make a first-team appearance at the club.

He was sent out on loan three times, with his first temporary stint at Salernitana exposing him to the brutally harsh nature of the Italian game when he and his teammates were locked inside the Serie B club's training base for an entire week as punishment for a 3-0 loss. Even worse, his parents were visiting at the time and weren’t allowed inside to see him.