Marko Stamenic says "the people around Swansea City" have helped him rediscover his love for football during his first year at the Championship club. Thursday marked 12 months since Stamenic said farewell to Nottingham Forest to take on the challenge of proving himself in the Championship at Swansea. The 24-year-old has achieved that feat despite the trauma brought by the sudden death of his father Nikola, who he calls the "main figure" in his development as a player, last October.
As he prepares for Saturday's first home league game of the new season, against Sheffield United, Stamenic reflects on "a year of a lot of ups and downs". "Probably more off the field for me on a personal note as everybody knows," he says. "But I think having the people around me in this club, it really helped me cross that hurdle, to find my love again for the game and really get back to how I know I am as a player and person." Stamenic has missed the "daily conversations" with his father about football.
Then there was this summer's World Cup. Stamenic had been inspired when, as an eight-year-old, he sat alongside his dad to watch New Zealand's games at the 2010 tournament in South Africa. Sixteen years later, the midfielder made it to football's grandest stage.
All the family were there to see Stamenic feature in New Zealand's three matches in the USA while his dad was "watching from above". As has been the case at Swansea, Stamenic says, his New Zealand colleagues helped him through. "I think both really helped in the transition back to, you could say, reality with my normal day-to-day job," he adds.
"The people around, they just they knew what I needed at the time. If it was space, if it was a conversation, they were always a shoulder to lean on." Stamenic describes the World Cup experience as "amazing" despite the fact that the All Whites exited at the group stage after a draw with Iran and defeats against Egypt and Belgium. International duty meant a shortened off-season in which Stamenic got engaged to partner Monica before joining up with Swansea during their July training camp in Austria.
Though there is a long second-tier season ahead, Stamenic insists there are no concerns over a lack of summer rest. "I was telling my missus while we were on holiday, I'm actually missing football a little bit - she wasn't too happy," he says with a smile. They gave me three weeks off so I had a lot of time to reflect on the World Cup and then just to rest my body and also my mind." There were no signs of fatigue as Stamenic impressed during Swansea's league opener at Stoke City last weekend.
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