Asmir Begovic has told FourFourTwo that battling with Thibaut Courtois for Chelsea's No.1 shirt tempted him to the club.
The Bosnian joined the Londoners for £8 million from Stoke in the summer after five-and-a-half-years at the Britannia Stadium, where he made 172 outings.
Begovic left a guaranteed first-team spot behind in the Potteries, but says the prospect of warming the bench behind his new Belgian team-mate – who suffered a knee injury in mid-September which has sidelined him for several months – was a motivation to sign rather than deterrent.
“It was certainly something which attracted me,” said Begovic, speaking exclusively to FourFourTwo.
Thibaut is one of the one of the top goalkeepers in the world. Working with him, pushing myself, makes you better as an individual
“Thibaut is one of the top goalkeepers in the world. Working with him, pushing myself, makes you better as an individual.
“We have a fantastic goalkeeping coach as well; you're learning from these guys each and every day. Testing myself against the best is something which attracted me to make the move.
“Goalkeepers work in a very close environment on a daily basis. We always tend to get on really well, and try to push each other. At a club like Chelsea it's how you can contribute to the team. Every single player will get his chance and get his time. It's about doing a job for the team and the other guys. We try and do well for our own sake and for the team’s sake. We never have any issues.”
Making a move
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Mr. Ancelotti is one of the world's best managers and the opportunities came up. I personally didn't turn them down
The former Portsmouth shot-stopper had long been linked with a move away from Stoke, and admits he had other offers alongside Chelsea's this summer.
Carlo Ancelotti previously revealed he tried to sign the 28-year-old for the Blues and Real Madrid, while both Manchester clubs were said to be interested in the past.
“People had been talking and different options came available,” said the Bosnia international, who has won 45 caps for his country. “Of course, Mr. Ancelotti is one of the world's best managers and the opportunities came up. I personally didn't turn them down, the clubs couldn't come to an agreement.
“Those things you have to deal with and your job is to play for the club who employ you, so it was never a real issue for me. It's nice to know people have a high opinion of you, especially bigger names in the game. My time at Stoke was about proving myself, working hard and trying to get to the highest level.
“There were definitely a few offers to weigh up [this summer]. You respect every single offer and you weigh up the pros and cons. You decide by yourself and also with your family to find out what is the best offer. It came down to wanting to join the biggest club, the best club, and that is the reason why I joined Chelsea.”
Joe was the Deputy Editor at FourFourTwo until 2022, having risen through the FFT academy and been on the brand since 2013 in various capacities.
By weekend and frustrating midweek night he is a Leicester City fan, and in 2020 co-wrote the autobiography of former Foxes winger Matt Piper – subsequently listed for both the Telegraph and William Hill Sports Book of the Year awards.
