Favourite male Kiwi overseas club football moments

In light of watching Stamenic play in the Champions League last few weeks, thought this might be an interesting topic. Congrats to Marko by the way.

I remember a year or two back Mrs Mils, said keep an eye on this young kid. Awesome to see him up against some of Europe's big names, and doing bloody well. Huge learning curve for him.

My guess at top 10 below. I've done a mix of single games, and seasons/careers (in Nelsen's case)

1. Wynton helping Werder Bremen to the 1992–93 Bundesliga title, only the third championship in the club's history, Rufer finished second in the scoring charts, with 17 goals.
2. Wynton scoring in the final of 1992 UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, in Lisbon (2–0 win against AS Monaco FC)
3. Woodsman scoring at Old Trafford in an upset Burnley win
4. Woodsman scoring on Burnley debut against Spurs at Wembley in stoppage time
5. Thomas getting 2 goals in the Dutch Cup final, as minnows Zwolle upset Ajax
6. Reid scoring the winner in the last Hammers game at Upton Park (against Man U as well). Plus his EPL career as a whole
7. Nelsen's EPL career
8. Stamenic playing in the UCL 
9. Singh's Bayern debut (sub against Bremen)
10. Serie A debut Cacace

Honourable mention - Nelsen captaining DC United to a MLS Cup win

All the goals from Werder Bremen's march to Cup Winners Cup glory in 1991/92.
Complete with Tears for Fears soundtrack, all very 90s.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ynvS3lc85-M

Awesome thread :)

I'd put Ivan Vicelich's stint at Roda JC in the top 10 - he was absolute quality during that period.  I was lucky enough to see two of his matches there live - he scored a hat trick against Den Hag from midfield (including a long range screamer with his left foot), and then looked completely at home against Ajax at the Amsterdam Arena. I'd put his career in Holland ahead of the achievements (to this point) of Singh, Cacace and possibly even Thomas (although Cup win for him was significant). Those others possibly/probably will eclipse Ivan's career in due time, but for now he is unquestionably in the top 10 for mine.

And while I'm stoked about Stamenic playing Champion's League this season, you could technically argue that Killen's spell at Celtic matches it? (to this point).

I'd probably also rank Nelsen's Premier League stint above Reid's - it was all in the Prem, and covered 3 teams.  And he also made an FA Cup semi final.  But this is getting pretty finicky, they were both stellar players.

And as other honourable mentions, I'll chuck in Kris Bouckenooghe being the first All White to play in the Belgian top flight, Noah Hickey's league wins and European matches for Tampere in Finland, Brian Turner for being the first New Zealand player to play pro in England (for Brentford in the early 70s) and All White Colin Walker being the first ever 'New Zealander' to play in the top English league (the old first division for Sheffield Wednesday - he did this after playing for NZ, rather than an ex-pro who emigrated and subsequently played for NZ, like Armstrong etc) 

and maybe Bill Tuiloma making his debut in Ligue Un for Marseilles?  that's fairly epic in hindsight!

Khalil Media

and maybe Bill Tuiloma making his debut in Ligue Un for Marseilles?  that's fairly epic in hindsight!

Could look to make it a top 15 or 20. Was some UK born guy (1920s) I think who went from Auckland on a boat and had a few seasons in Division 1 with Aston Villa. Was a recent article (Tony Smith?) on him.

Oska

I have a feeling when Fallon scored that goal he wasn't available for selection to NZ (he played age group for England I think) and only switched back closer to the 2010 world cup? So not sure it counts, amazing goal though.

I feel like with Nelsen on the list it would be more consistent to pick a moment rather than his career. Maybe the first time he captained Blackburn in the EPL?

Nelsen will always be associated with Blackburn but here he scores (3.30 mins into the video) in a FA Cup quarter final win for Spurs verus Bolton. Bale & Modric also running around among others.

Emotionally charged FA Cup quarterfinal - being a rematch of the tie which was abandoned when Bolton's Fabrice Muamba went into cardiac arrest the week before.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2S7TwmHlYM

actually do we also chuck Lee Norfolk in this mix, as the first Kiwi in Prem League, etc?

After finishing Welcome to Wrexham the other day, I'd chuck Crocombe's game for Grimsby vs Wrexham in the playoff in as an honourable mention. More for the spectacle than the performance; ending 5-4 Grimsby

does Marco winning the league in Chile come in to contention at all?  No small achievement.

I'll stick this here, as I can't get Marco Rojas thread to work. Same Michael Woud & Stef Marinovic.

League champions Colo Colo host O'Higgins (6th) in their penultimate game of the season.

From Wiki - O'Higgins FC named after Bernardo O'Higgins, who was a Chilean independence leader who freed Chile from Spanish rule in the Chilean War of Independence. He was a wealthy landowner of Basque-Spanish and Irish ancestry.[1]

https://us.soccerway.com/matches/2022/10/30/chile/primera-division/club-social-y-deportivo-colo-colo/ohiggins/3738342/

Edit - anyway Rojas makes his presence coming on as a HT sub (0-0). Credited with the assist for Colo Colo's first goal, and then gets the 2nd goal in 95th min, for a 2-0 victory in their final home game.

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lovely.

Is Rojas the first Kiwi footballer to score in South America? Considering the number of women and men we've had play their trade outside of NZ in years and decades gone by, I feel like he might not be but I just really can't remember. If he is though, that's another first for Football in this country and an impressive achievement for Rojas to have to his name.

Guess we can now add Waine not only scoring in his first PA start but also in a EFL trophy QF.

Ben Waine scoring because it's been a brilliant rise for him, 
Ryan Nelson signing for QPR - even though it was at the end of his career. His 6 months at Loftus Road inspired a club, 
Seeing Wynton Rufer in a Norwich City kit. Sadly, he got screwed over by the Home Office and went on to have some form of a Career at Werder. ( ;) )