
Asmir
Begovic says he has no desire to play second fiddle to Thibaut Courtois at
Chelsea.
The 28-year-old goalkeeper joined the Blues from Stoke City on a four-year
deal earlier this month following the departure of Petr Cech to Arsenal.
But with Courtois firmly established as Chelsea’s No 1, the move has raised
questions of Begovic’s motives.
The Bosnia and Herzegovina international, however, insists he is keen to
press his claims at Stamford Bridge this season.
"I want to test myself against Thibaut, he's one of the best goalkeepers in
the world but I believe in myself. I want to try and get as many games as I
can," he said.
"Hopefully every time I can show everybody what I'm all about and ultimately
help this team. We all have to play our part and at a club like this I think
you get to do so.
"There have been no guarantees. The challenge that's here, the manager and
players was what attracted to me and that was a big part of my decision.
"I'll back myself, absolutely. I'll be keeping my head down and working hard
to see how I can help this team in the future."
By making the move to west London, Begovic ended a five-and-a-half-year
association with Stoke, where he had been first-choice keeper for the past
four seasons.
Despite having only been at Chelsea for a matter of weeks, the former
Portsmouth 'keeper has already noticed the jump in quality.
"Even after the first week you can see the quality here and how they can
improve you with the levels and demands here," he added.
"It was difficult to leave Stoke after such a long time because of all the
ties and relationships I had there. But this is definitely a step up."