Kick-off wasn't for a number of hours but Kerem Bulut was already anxious. It was March 11 last year, his second home game for Western Sydney Wanderers and by mid-afternoon he was already dressed in his tracksuit ready to face Melbourne City that night.
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"I just want to play," Bulut said to Wanderers chief executive John Tsatsimas who sat by his side. However, the two weren't at Parramatta Stadium.
The newly signed striker was detained at Auburn Police Station after being charged with intimidation following an argument at a nearby McDonald's the night before. Bulut feared missing the game, the club feared a player with a history of gang involvement may never play for them again.
It wasn't until the reality hit home that his future could be determined by police rather than coaches that he realised his career was again in jeopardy.
"To be honest, if it was any other club or anyone else, I would have had my contract torn-up there and then," Bulut said. "But, maybe that created my career, something small like that."
The charges relating to that incident at McDonald's were dropped within weeks, so too the gang-related charges he faced in 2010. However, there were no assurances there wouldn't be a third incident unless his lifestyle changed.
For Bulut, a "lack of guidance" prompted an early association with alleged criminal groups. He grew up in Sydney's west, and 'fell into a bad' crowd when he was a teenager.
However his talent was undeniable. He won the golden boot performance at the 2009 Asian Under-19 Championships and Europe came knocking.
He played in the Czech Republic for Mlada Boleslav (2010-13) before stints in Turkey with Akhisar Belediyespor and Karsiyaka.
After leaving Turkey he returned to Australian in 2015 to play with the team of his home suburbs. However, his starring debut for the Wanderers when he scored a double against Sydney FC was immediately overshadowed by off-field incidents.
"The hardest thing for me to sacrifice was my friends, that's what kept dragging me back. I'd always go back to my friends, I would go back to please people," he said.
At the end of 2015 he signed with Greek club Iraklis. His third spell in Europe wasn't enjoyable as he was played intermittently, out of position and paid irregularly.
"I was feeling empty in Greece and it felt like I was there just to make up numbers," Bulut said.
Disillusioned and dejected, he decided to return home, even if that meant being near those who once sat by his side in custody.
"I came back to work with [Tony] Popovic again because he gets the best out of me; we have an understanding," Bulut said. "Our understanding is second to none, he's like a father figure to me."
The understanding and straight talking of Popovic was reinforced by one of the biggest names in sport - Sonny Bill Williams.
"Me and Sonny, we've been hanging out. You know, Sonny? Sonny Bill? Top bloke," Bulut said.
Both athletes are managed by cousins Salem Sawda and Khoder Nasser, and after hearing Bulut was returning to play in Australia, the New Zealand rugby union star offered to become a mentor.
"He grabbed me and pulled me aside and said. 'Mate, at your age I had all these things, I had all the women in the world, I had this, I had that but my heart was empty. Just focus on your football and get rid of these people'," Bulut said.
There's a sense of elation with every text message Bulut receives from Williams. It's prompted a sense of greater purpose in his life and the realisation that if he falls back into his previous habits, it won't just be him that's affected.
"I've got a family to look after, I've got a little brother and sister that look up to me as a role model but if I fail, my family fails," Bulut said. "I want to do the best even for my mother, I don't want her to work anymore. I'm trying to do my best to look after my family. At the end of the day, nobody has made it in our family."
The previous image of Bulut won't go away quickly, especially with the stories inked from his hands to his cheeks but his focus has shifted from feuds to football and family. A life once void of guidance is suddenly filled with an abundance and with such heavyweight support, Bulut says he won't fall again.
"I've got all the talent in the world but what's always put me back is my mind. That's what I'm working with, once that's clear then I will be unstoppable," he said.
