Jason Davidson, the young Heracles defender, was one of the standout performers in Australia’s recent World Cup campaign but rather than using this as great exposure, Davidson appears to have gone AWOL.

Davidson is caught up in a contract dispute with Heracles, wherein the player was under the impression his contract had expired and he was free to leave. The club, on the other hand, claim that he had a 1-year extension option, which was their right to trigger, and as such he is contracted to the Almelo based club for the 2014/5 season.  The problem with all of this is that no one knows where Davidson is at the moment!

Davidson, who himself fancies opportunities in Germany or England, is believed to have gone to England after the World Cup to trial with both Fulham and West Bromwich Albion.  Both clubs are said to have been impressed with the left sided defender and were prepared to offer him a contract, until Heracles jumped and claimed he was still their player and a transfer fee would need to be negotiated. Davidson appears to have gone underground to try and resolve this issue and it is believed that he definitely does not want to play for Heracles any more.

His departure would be a blow for Heracles, after his breakout season last campaign, with his pace and technical ability proving a great asset on the left side of their defence.  On the strength of his strong season with Heracles, Davidson was drafted into the Australian World Cup to take the troublesome left sided defender role.  He played in all three of Australia’s World Cup matches to follow in the footsteps of his father, Alan, who won 79 caps for the Socceroos.

The 23-year old Davidson was born in Melbourne but travelled the world as a youngster as his Dad’s career flourished.  There was no doubt in Jason’s mind from an early age that he was going to follow in his father’s footsteps.  Whilst other talented youngsters around him were trying their luck with European sides, Davidson went to Japan instead to famed youth academy, Seiritsu Gakuen.  Davidson openly admits that this time was the toughest of his life, being away from his family in a totally different culture and being an outsider but it also taught him resilience and great technical skills that would hold him in good stead.  After turning down offers from back home in Australia, Davidson moved to Portugal with Pacos de Ferreira where he made a handful of appearances.  He also spent some time on load at Sporting Covilha before being picked up by Heracles, where he has played 46 games in the last three campaigns.

A good technical player with the ball at his feet and with excellent physical attributes Davidson was well suited to the Eredivisie but seemingly he has decided that his development would be best served elsewhere.  Whatever the final outcome is in this intriguing tale, one can only hope that Jason makes the most of his skill and current reputation and finds a club that can continue his development as a key component of a youthful Australian side.

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