Arriving 60 seconds late for his first training session at an elite private school in Tokyo, 14-year-old Jason Davidson was ordered to shave his head. Worse still, his teammates received an identical punishment and the import from Australia was immediately an outcast.
Within the soccer programme of the Seiritsu Gakuen High School, the junior international had to overcome a total culture shock including the language barrier, extreme rules and loneliness. It would be more than 18 months before he earned the acceptance of his teammates, even though he is part Japanese.
Yet he stuck with it and things eventually turned around. And after three years within one of the renowned junior feeder systems for the J-League, Davidson returned to Melbourne as one of the AFC region's hottest prospects.
Today, the now 18-year-old defender is playing for Pacos de Ferreira in the top division in Portugal and has set himself a lofty target of becoming the first Australian to play for Spanish super club Real Madrid.
'I know it's a huge dream, but I have learnt in my years in football that anything is possible,' Davidson said. 'My Japanese experience taught me about discipline, respect and keeping your thoughts to yourself, which have helped me be accepted by my new teammates in Europe.'
Davidson, a robust left full back, debuted at former European champions Porto in January, coming on as a substitute at the Estadio do Dragao. Since then, the teenager has made a handful of appearances, including a memorable second-half cameo matching up against Argentina superstars Javier Saviola and Angel de Maria before 42,971 fans at Benfica on March 7.