It is one that has taken the New Zealand international from the Pacific to Scandinavia, the Balkans and now south Wales.
For the 23-year-old midfielder, who has Samoan and Serbian heritage, his career has been global but unconventional.
Now, though, after years of packing bags, learning languages and adapting to new cultures, he says Swansea finally feels like home.
It will feel even more welcoming if he manages to help the Swans produce a huge Carabao Cup fourth round shock at home to Pep Guardiola’s side.
“It’s been a long way away from home, but now I’m fortunate enough to have my family with me in Europe, so it feels a bit more at home,” he says.
“It was definitely a big shock for me leaving home at such a young age away from family, friends, my life that I grew up with in Wellington, New Zealand. But ultimately it was for the thing that I love most — football.”
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Roots in conflict and culture
Stamenic’s journey begins with a story of displacement. His father fled Serbia’s city of Novi Sad during the Yugoslav wars of the 1990s, seeking safety far from the chaos.
“It was during the Yugoslavian war. It was a difficult time for him and his family and they were just looking for an out, to get away from the chaos,” Stamenic explains. “Luckily, and fortunate enough for me, it was New Zealand where he met my mum.”
His mother, of Samoan descent, added another rich cultural layer to his upbringing. The family’s household in Wellington was an exotic blend.
“Yeah, it’s quite a weird mix,” he laughs.
“There is a huge culture difference when it comes to Christmases and New Year’s and Easters. But it was crazy how connected and how well they got along. They’re from different sides of the world and completely different cultures — but it’s a nice mix and I’m proud to be both.”
The combination made Stamenic as comfortable in a rugby-mad Samoan family gathering as in a Serbian kitchen.
“All of my family from my mum’s side were huge Samoan boys and they all played rugby,” he says.
“But my dad had that love for football, who pushed me to try and play football. I touched the football for the first time when I was really young and I loved it.”
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Discovering the wider world
As a teenager in New Zealand, the idea of playing in Europe felt like fantasy. But Stamenic’s talent was evident from an early age, and a place in the New Zealand academy system gave him belief.
“That reality didn’t really come into my mind until I was a little bit older,” he says. “It really started to become serious when I joined my academy in New Zealand. I met a lot of great people who helped me along the way and they put that image in my head that this could become a reality of fulfilling your dream of playing in Europe.”
The Under-17 World Cup in Brazil in 2019 became his launch pad. “That was the first real feeling of ‘wow, this is something that’s within arm’s reach,’” he recalls. “After that World Cup, the door started opening up for me because it’s really difficult to get your name out from playing in New Zealand.”
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A teenage leap to Copenhagen
That opportunity came in March 2020, when he flew to Denmark for a trial with FC Copenhagen — only for the COVID-19 pandemic to strike mid-visit.
“I was there for a week and then got the notice that COVID had hit really hard,” he says. “I had to make a decision — stay and finish the trial or go home. I heard the situation in New Zealand was a lot better, so I said, ‘Look, I’ll go home and be with my family.’ If it’s meant to be, it’s meant to be.”
The gamble paid off. Months later, Copenhagen called him back, giving him just a few hours to catch the next flight. It would be his new beginning.
“That was a good period. For me, that’s my second home. My girlfriend is from there. I have a lot of friends from there as well,” he says.
“I started playing with the Under-19s and then slowly transitioned into the first team. That’s where I probably grew the most hair on my chest — transitioning from a boy to a man.”
At Copenhagen he shared a dressing room with future stars like Rasmus Højlund, now at Napoli, and Victor Kristiansen, formerly of Leicester. He also learned Danish — “Pretty much,” he laughs — and discovered how to live on his own in a foreign city.
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Reconnecting with his roots in Belgrade
From the calm of Scandinavia to the passion of the Balkans, Stamenic’s next stop was Red Star Belgrade — one of the clubs he had idolised as a child.
“After a few years [in Denmark], I moved on to Serbia, where I reconnected with my dad’s roots and got to play for one of the biggest clubs that I supported when I was younger as well,” he says. “So that was definitely a child dream come true.”
Red Star was a cultural shock but a professional awakening. “Very big club, big pressure — but this is what I like. It gives you a sense that you need to win and achieve and get better every day,” he says. “Lot more pressure to win, but when things were going well it was like a domino effect.”
His Serbian improved, his confidence grew, and his connection to his father’s homeland deepened. “Hearing the language again, meeting family that I never knew existed… it felt whole,” he says.
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Lessons from a difficult year
His performances in Belgrade earned him a move to Nottingham Forest, whose owner Evangelos Marinakis also oversaw Olympiacos — the Greek club where Stamenic was loaned last season.
“The plan was to sign for Forest and go to Olympiacos,” he explains. “I saw it as a good opportunity because my dream was always to play in the Premier League. Of course, football is a roller-coaster with ups and downs and last year was definitely one of the downs.
"But I also think it’s where I learned the most about myself as a player and as a person.”
That education in resilience, he says, prepared him for Swansea — “this amazing club,” as he calls it — where he has quickly settled.
“I’m happy and I don’t regret anything, because now it’s given me the opportunity to come to this amazing club. I don’t see it as a negative.”
A home in South Wales
At the Swansea.com Stadium, Stamenic has found an environment that suits him.
“We describe ourselves as very honest, and that’s all a player asks for,” he says. “We don’t have a problem with criticising each other and that’s the biggest thing if you want to improve. This club has everything it needs to be a Premier League club.”
His focus is firmly on helping Alan Sheehan's side progress in the EFL Cup and climb the Championship table. And Wednesday’s visit of Manchester City offers both a challenge and a benchmark.
“I’ve had the opportunity to play them probably more times than I’ve wanted,” he jokes. “I played against them in Copenhagen and at Red Star. My dad was laughing that the odds are more often than not that you’re going to draw Man City in this cup — look what happened!”
He has even issued a personal invitation to Erling Haaland:
“No, he didn’t play in [New Zealand’s friendly] against Norway,” Stamenic says. “But I’m hoping he plays here. Of course. You want the best players to play, so you can test yourselves against the best.”
And how would he stop the Norwegian? “Just put five men on him!” he laughs. “But we won’t treat him any differently. We’ll stick to our game plan.”
Eyes on a bigger horizon
Beyond the cup tie lies an even grander dream — leading New Zealand at the 2026 World Cup.
“It was definitely a surreal feeling,” he says of qualification. “I remember watching the 2010 World Cup with my father and saying, ‘I really want to be there with New Zealand one day.’ He was there with me when we qualified. Surreal feeling.”
New Zealand football is changing, he insists. “We drew with Norway, beat the Ivory Coast in the summer. These are positive signs. Fifteen years ago, not a lot of our players were professionals in Europe. Look at our squad now — most of us are.”
But before the World Cup comes a different kind of global stage: a packed stadium and a meeting with the English champions.
“They’re obviously one of the best clubs in the world,” Stamenic says. “But every team is beatable. We’ve shown that against Nottingham Forest. I’m sure we can give a good performance against Man City — and you never know in the cup.”
⚽ Swansea City vs Manchester City — Match Factfile
📍 Venue: Swansea.com Stadium, Swansea
📅 Date: Wednesday 23 October 2025
⏰ Kick-off: 7.45pm (UK time)
📺 Live on: Sky Sports Main Event & EFL Live
💥 Headline
New Zealand international Marco Stamenic faces English champions Manchester City as Swansea chase a famous EFL Cup upset at the Swansea.com Stadium.
🧾 Competition
EFL Cup – Fourth Round
🔎 Players to Watch
Swansea City: Marco Stamenic, Liam Cullen
Manchester City: Erling Haaland, Phil Foden
💬 Player’s View
“They’re obviously one of the best clubs in the world. So it’s a good competition for us, a good test for us, and I’m sure the stadium will be rocking,” said Marco Stamenic.
“Every team is beatable — we’ve shown that against Nottingham Forest, a Premier League club. I’m sure we can give a good performance against Man City, and then you never know in the cup.”
💷 What’s at Stake
A place in the EFL Cup quarter-finals and the chance for Swansea to claim one of the biggest cup scalps in their modern history — against the reigning Premier League and European champions.
📈 Odds
Swansea City 12/1
Draw 11/2
Manchester City 1/5
Odds supplied by DragonBet - https://dragonbet.co.uk/event/124606567/swansea-city-vs-manchester-city
