The 23-year-old made 13 appearances for Alania Vladikavkaz before swapping sub-zero temperatures and frozen pitches to play in Athens on a one-year loan.

au.fourfourtwo.com started by asking the Kiwi international about life with Panathinaikos in the Greek Superleague.

As a player of Greek descent what was it like playing for Panathinaikos this season? Were you born to be green?
It really was a dream come true. I have been a Panathinaikos fan all my life and once the opportunity came up I didn't think twice.

Tell us about taking to the pitch against Olympiakos last month in one of the world’s great football rivalries - the “derby of eternal enemies”.
I wasn't involved in the first game at our stadium, so I was desperate to experience the derby. Thankfully things have been going very well for me the last couple of months so I started the game. It was like nothing I have ever experienced before. For the fans this is the game they live for and they are very passionate to say the least.

You guys snatched a one goal lead in the 73rd minute only to concede a heartbreaking equaliser three minutes from time.
We played well the whole game, when we didn't have possession we held our shape and minimised their chances. We got the lead and then conceded a late goal which was disappointing.

It was a poor season for the club though, finishing outside the European places. What went wrong?
The club and fans have been through a lot this year. It hasn't been easy for them but I think they are ironing out the problems. Personally I think as players the difficulties lay in the amount of changes the team went through during the season. We had four different managers and when you have so many changes it’s difficult to get a rhythm going.

You had a nice one-two with Portuguese midfielder Zeca to set up a goal in the 3-0 win over Skoda Xanthi to seal sixth. How do you rate your season?
My start of the season was disrupted a bit by having all the Olympic Games preparation which meant I missed the whole of our preseason which was difficult. So when I got back I found it hard to get into the side as the manager had seen a lot more of the other players. But as the season went on I worked hard and had a very good run in the last couple of months and I think I have left a good impression on the club and fans.

You didn’t get a run in the Champions League but made 11 appearances for the club. Were you happy with your opportunities?
I was in the squad for a lot of the group stage games but never came on. All in all considering that I missed a lot of the preparation I'm happy with how my season ended on a personal note and I think if we were in mid-season now I would be playing regularly.

Any players on the team influence the development of your game?
Nikos Spyropoulos, Loukas Vyntra and Stefanos Kotsolis were senior players who were very friendly to me from when I first joined and helped me to settle in. Since then I have made a lot of good partnerships on and off the field.

What are your thoughts on the appointment of former Greek international Yannis Anastasiou as the new coach?
He's coming in with a good name in Greek football. I hope he can come in, steady the ship and bring a few fresh ideas to the young squad we have.

So what’s it been like living in Athens?
Athens is a fantastic city. I have enjoyed everything about it. I have been to a lot of cities and I have to say that it would be difficult to name a better place to live.

You enjoyed a breakthrough season with Brisbane Roar in 2010-11 before signing with Alania Vladikavkaz. What was the thinking behind the move?
We had a very successful season with Brisbane. I think everyone except for Ange (Postecoglou) was surprised at how well we did. It was a hard decision to leave everything we achieved but the opportunity to move to Europe was too good to turn down. I'm very glad I did and I think I'm going in the right direction.

Your former A-league clubs, Roar and Wellington Phoenix, had tough seasons. Do you follow their progress?
I still follow the league as a whole as well as I can, through social media mostly. If a game is on while I have spare time I will definitely watch, especially if Roar or Phoenix are playing. I still have regular contact with a lot of my old team mates.

What do you think of New Zealand’s chances of making back-to-back World Cups?
I think we have a very good chance. It will be a difficult play off whoever we play come December but I think if we can have a good build up to those games we have every chance to make it back-to-back, which will be an amazing achievement.

With the likes of yourself, Michael McGlinchey and A-League “player of the year” Marco Rojas could the All Whites be heading into a golden generation?
We have a very strong squad now that has been built from the last couple of years, with a good bunch of players competing at a good level. I think if we can keep pushing ourselves we can achieve a whole lot as a group.

Where to next season for Kosta Barbarouses?
There are a few options and a few things to talk over with my agent, so hopefully everything will be clear in the coming weeks.