Josh Doig bet on himself after opting to leave Hibs for Italian football.
The left-back had been a standout at Easter Road and impressed scouts in Serie A where he would eventually try his hand.
Hellas Verona was the club to take a chance on the 20-year-old at the time who had shone in the Scottish Premiership to earn a crack at a fresh challenge.
But while the Edinburgh-born defender would find it easier to adapt on the pitch than he had perhaps initially feared, it was off the field where the culture was the biggest shock to the system.
“100 percent there was a culture shock,” Doig said in an exclusive sit down with Not The Old Firm. “When I first came over, it was more about moving away from my parents to be fair. I was still living at home when I was with Hibs, so I was kind of used to having everyone doing everything for me.
“So I think that was kind of the biggest shock coming over kind of being myself over here, having to kind of fend for yourself, cook for yourself, clean for yourself. It was a shock to the system, but it’s probably been the best thing for me. it’s matured me so fast as a person.”
Doing his own dishes and washing up might have been new to Doig, but learning a different language would also prove challenging. “(My Italian) is okay. I get by, kind of understand everything,” he added.
“I understand mostly everything that people say now. It’s just speaking. I still struggle a bit with the speaking, but I can get by as I said out and about, order and stuff, everything like that and all the football terms I’ve got.”
Doig’s first year in Italian football saw him make 36 appearances with Verona but it would also earn him a move to Sassuolo and bring about more change for the now 22-year-old.
Relegation taught Doig a valuable lesson at Sassuolo
Yet the switch to I Neroverdi would bring its own difficulties and Doig, with his teammates, were relegated last season to Serie B.
A devastating moment for most, but a learning experience for a young lad who has already run the gamut of emotions within the game. “Yeah, obviously it was really disappointing to come down, but then what you going to do? It’s happened,” he said.
And the ambition now shifts, too.
“Now the main goal is to get back up and we started really well this season, but we’re only a third of the way through or whatever. So we need to keep going.
“There’s a lot of difficult games to come especially in the next month or so, so we need to just keep pushing and it’s still very early days. If we can continue the way we’ve played so far, hopefully we’ll have a positive outcome.
“Obviously, we finished last season and hopefully this season will be kind of around the top for most of it. So yeah, just experiencing sort of different types of football, different teams different positions in the league.
“As I say, it’s broadened my horizons, although it can be difficult, a bit roller coaster along the way.”
Doig came up against top stars in Scottish football before he departed. But on a week-by-week basis it is difficult to argue that Italian football is a step up in terms of individual talents.
Doig names Domenico Berardi among the toughest opponents he has faced
So, when asked to name some of the tougher opponents he has faced in Europe, Doig was hard pressed to whittle it down.
“Any sort of right winger you’re going to come up against, they’re in Serie A, so they’re going to be a good player. They’re going to have some sort of quality,” he said.
“But to be fair, it kind of gave me a different aspect of, actually need to study your opponents. I was doing that more kind of last season. This season, you need to know what your opponent’s going to do because you do know he’s going to have some sort of quality.
“Whether that’s dribbling, pace or strength, you don’t know what it’s going to be. So, I think studying your player is so important and obviously you come up last season there was so many big players come up against, I can’t even name them so many.
“Even here (at Sassuolo) you’ve got Domenico Berardi (former Juventus, Italy national team) at right wing, who was probably one of the best right wingers in the league last season before his injury.
“Obviously he’s just getting back fit now and even now he’s back into it and he’s so impressive in training and stuff, you can see him getting back up to full fitness. He was one that when I came up against it was definitely difficult and to be playing with him now… it’s good to be playing with him rather than against!
“You can’t really (admit to being star struck), I’m a big guy, but one of the most difficult was (Matteo) Politano from Napoli because he’s so small and it’s hard to get a hand on him!
“It was his movement that shocked me so much. As a defender you just want your man to be in front of you but he was always in behind me moving, like you could not switch off for a second. but yeah he’s one of the more difficult ones.
What Doig has said about Fabio Grosso as his manager in Serie B
“He doesn’t give you that physical aspect but you can’t lay a hand on him. Which that’s difficult for my game, so I’d definitely say he’s one of the more difficult ones.”
Doig is also working with a manager who, in his own playing career, won plenty.
Fabio Grosso, the former Inter Milan, Lyon and Juventus defender is a World Cup winner who played at full-back. A challenge then, for Doig, to handpick a boss more suited to help develop the Scot as a player.
And he admits he is feeling the benefits of working with a coach like Grosso.
“He is so helpful because you know you can trust him. He’s done it all.
“He’s done everything in the game and at my position. To have a role model like that be your gaffer, it’s so good to bring me forward. Even in training, it’s so important because obviously he’s done it, he’s seeing what I’m doing and to pick up on the little things maybe I wouldn’t notice and maybe other managers would notice because they’re not too particular with left back.
“But yeah, he’s so picky with things which is brilliant and I’ve only had a few months with him but he’s been brilliant so far and I’m just excited to work with him for the rest of the season and however longer.
“He’s obviously so much quality as a player, but even in training you can see him. Still, when he whips the ball and he’s so helpful.
“It’s a lot on how your first touch gets your feet across and then even defensively-wise positioning.
“It’s as I said, he was an experienced player. So, there’s so many aspects of my game that he’s helping me with so far.”