Marko Stamenic Says Swansea Support Helped Restore His Love of Football

Marko Stamenic has credited the support around him at Swansea City with helping him rediscover his love of football during a difficult first year at the Championship club. Speaking to BBC Sport, the New Zealand midfielder reflected on a period shaped by personal loss, a World Cup appearance and his efforts to establish himself in south Wales.

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Stamenic joined Swansea from Nottingham Forest 12 months ago and has since made 40 appearances, scoring three goals. His father, Nikola, died suddenly last October. The 24-year-old described his father as the central figure in his development as a player and said he particularly missed their daily conversations about football.

The midfielder said people at Swansea helped him through the loss by understanding when he needed space, a conversation or someone to lean on. He said New Zealand teammates provided similar support when he returned to international duty, allowing him to settle back into the routines of professional football after a traumatic period away from the pitch.

Stamenic then played in all three of New Zealand's matches at the 2026 World Cup in the United States. The All Whites left at the group stage after drawing with Iran and losing to Egypt and Belgium. His family attended the tournament, 16 years after he had watched New Zealand compete at the 2010 World Cup alongside his father.

After the tournament, Stamenic became engaged to his partner Monica and received three weeks off before joining Swansea's training camp in Austria. He returned in time to feature in the club's Championship opener at Stoke City, playing a more advanced midfield role and contributing to the build-up for both goals in a 2-1 comeback victory.

The new campaign also offers Stamenic a degree of stability after successive seasons with Copenhagen, Red Star Belgrade and Olympiakos before his move to Swansea. He has also helped New Zealand teammate Elijah Just settle following his arrival from Motherwell. After Swansea finished 11th last season, Stamenic said promotion is the squad's ambition for 2026-27, while stressing that the immediate focus remains on maintaining standards in training and preparing for each match.