From bursting onto the A-League scene to catching the eye as the Socceroos' standout bolter at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, a teenage Daniel Arzani had the world at his feet.
But a matter of months after his breakout tournament in Russia and dream European move, the tricky winger's senior career hit its first major obstacle: a serious knee injury suffering during his Celtic debut.
Since then, it has been a long way back for the 22-year-old, who took the long road to recovery and has since plied his trade in the Netherlands and most recently Denmark.
Arzani was determined to impress after receiving a call-up to the Australia U23 select side that assembled in Marbella, Spain this month. He did exactly that - most notably, scoring a brace in the side's final friendly against Mexico.
The revival of form was enough to earn a ticket to Tokyo 2020, where he will be yet again looking to inject his creativity and flair to boost Australia on the international stage.
"For me honestly it is such a special feeling – for me and for my family," reflected Arzani on the opportunity to represent his nation at the Games.
"I am really proud to be Australian and to be able to represent Australia at the Olympics, that is something in and of itself that is just so special, and it’s a joy really."
Following camp in Marbella, Arzani linked up with the Australian coaching staff in Dubai knowing that he was in contention for the final 18-man squad.
However despite his high hopes, hearing absolute confirmation of his selection still turned out to be an incredibly surreal moment.
"It was kind of impromptu," recalled Arzani.
"We were just having a little player meeting with Arnie and he kind of just sprung it on us and all the boys that are here in Dubai. He said to us ‘obviously you guys are in the squad’. and we said ‘woah, wait a second, we didn’t know we were in’.
It was good, I was buzzing, and my family was buzzing when they heard the news as well."
Arzani shares the overwhelming sense of excitement his coach Graham Arnold expressed following the Men's Olympic Football Tournament draw in April.
"I saw in the media that he (Arnold) called it the ‘Group of Dreams’," said Arzani. "For me, I think it is the ‘Group of Opportunity’."
"I think as a National Team and as a country we have so much to offer but we also have so much to prove, and I can’t wait to go out there and do it on a world stage."
Like many Australians of his generation, Arzani's first Olympic memories intstantly gravitate to Usain Bolt's heroics at Beijing 2008.
"For me the single greatest Olympics memory that I have is of Usain Bolt doing the clean sweep, I think it was the 100-metres, the 200, and the 400, and he just annihilated the competition," recounts Arzani. "That was something to see, that’s for sure."
But come July, Arzani and his teammates will be out to create lasting Olympic memories of their own.
And with that, beckons the opportunity for the talented youngster to reignite his personal rise to stardom.
