Episode 05 - Stefan Milidrag

Stefan Milidrag had the dream, the ability, and the work ethic. Then COVID took two years of football away from him. What he built in that gap might be the most interesting part of his story.

Stefan is a Canadian footballer currently playing in New Zealand's Southern National League while running a freelance digital marketing business on the side. He's lived the reality of chasing a professional contract across three countries with limited agent support and a Canadian passport — and he's figured out how to make it work.

In this conversation:

• How Stefan used the COVID shutdown to build a remote income that now lets him take football opportunities regardless of what they pay

• The LinkedIn and cold email strategy that has landed him contracts in Australia and New Zealand without relying on agents

• Why working holiday visas, travel insurance, and savings discipline are the unglamorous things that actually make an overseas football career possible

• The European passport problem — and the creative visa workarounds players are using to break through anyway

If you're a footballer weighing up whether to make that move overseas, or you're already out there trying to figure out how to make it sustainable, Stefan's story is worth your time.

About The Overseas Athlete

Real conversations with athletes who have built careers overseas, and the people who help them. The Athlete Newsletter every Wednesday: read.athletenewsletter.com

Chris Broadfoot is an ex-pro footballer and founder of SportsFX, the currency and payments partner for professional sport. More at sportsfx.co