'I fled the war as a boy but my heart belongs to Bosnia'... returning for grandfather's funeral convinced Stoke keeper Begovic to play for his homeland



When Asmir Begovic walks out to face Lionel Messi in the World Cup later this year, he will spare a quiet thought for the grand-father he barely knew, their lives separated by the savage war in Bosnia that killed 200,000 people.



Forced to flee the region with his family as a four-year-old boy, Begovic believes his emotional return 16 years later for his grandfather’s funeral has helped shape a career set to peak this year with the World Cup in Brazil and a likely £15million move from Stoke City to one of England’s top clubs.



The 6ft 4in goalkeeper is available again for today’s FA Cup fourth-round tie against Chelsea after recovering from a broken finger, although manager Mark Hughes, who has hailed him as ‘one of the top goalkeepers in Europe’, may prefer to hold him back for the critical relegation six-pointer against Sunderland on Wednesday night.

VIDEO: Scroll down to watch Mark Hughes on Asmir Begovic's freak goal



Safe hands: Asmir Begovic escaped war torn Bosnia to become one of the Premier League's outstanding keepers at Stoke

Brazil bound: Begovic, pictured here facing a penalty from Samir Nasri at Euro 2012, will line up for Bosnia at the World Cup

‘The Bosnian blood was always in me,’ said Begovic, who initially found refuge in Germany for six years before moving another 4,500 miles to the Canadian ice hockey city of Edmonton to spend his formative teenage years. ‘We adapted to different cultures, of course, as we moved around the world but we always spoke Bosnian at home. We never forgot where we came from.



‘I wasn’t able to go back until my early 20s, when I attended my grandad’s funeral. I was reunited with a lot of my family, who I hadn’t seen in quite a few years. I felt the scars, the bad things that happened, the years there I’d missed.



‘It was a very emotional trip and I made up my mind up that if an opportunity came up to play for Bosnia, I would definitely do it [Begovic had also represented Canada at Under-20 level]. It was the moment I truly knew where I was from; it meant a lot, to be honest.’

Escape: Edin Dzeko is another survivor of the war in Bosnia who went on to succeed in football

Pot luck: Begovic is congratulated after scoring a freak goal against Southampton

Going back to Bosnia now for international games still opens up emotions. Spending time in hotels with team-mates, the conversation can turn to war stories.



Everyone has his own story, those like Manchester City’s Eden Dzeko, who grew up in Sarajevo when things were at their most dangerous, to others like Begovic who escaped the war and had to start a new life from scratch in alien countries.



Begovic said: ‘You can walk out of a five-star hotel in Bosnia and there is a building next to it with bullet holes. It is part of the country, the way it is. People carry on with their lives, but they don’t forget.



‘Qualifying for the World Cup is one of the brightest things that has ever happened to Bosnia. It does create pressure because we are so desperate to give the people some happiness and joy after years of hurt and pain.



‘I think of what Bosnia has come through, about our players growing up around the world and coming together to form a team that will play at the World Cup. It is what dreams are made of.’

Lionel flair! Begovic's Bosnia will play Messi's Argentina in their opening World Cup game in Brazil

Hot Spurs: Begovic thought he would be heading to Tottenham when he arrived in England in 2005

Bosnia have been drawn against Nigeria, Iran and Argentina, with their opening match against Messi’s team taking place in Rio’s iconic Maracana Stadium.



Begovic prides himself on being ‘independent and honest’, his uprooted childhood giving him the ability to make brave decisions. He first came to England at the age of 16 after a talent-spotter arranged trials for him at Portsmouth and Tottenham but he never got as far as the bright lights of London.



‘I was picked up at the airport by the Portsmouth academy director and on my way to digs I asked him about my itinerary, what day I would be going to Tottenham,’ said Begovic. ‘He turned round and said, “What do you mean, Tottenham?”. I realised then I shouldn’t have said anything!



‘Two days into my trial at Portsmouth, I played a friendly. They put me in the dressing room afterwards and said, “We’ll give you a contract but you can’t go to Tottenham”. I had no hesitation in signing. I pretty much would have taken anything, a contract in England was a dream come true. And when I thought about it, I realised going to a smaller team would develop my game. That’s what happened.



‘I could have gone to Tottenham and been lost among 10 other academy goalkeepers. At Portsmouth, there was a route forward, training with the first team.



‘Harry Redknapp was the manager at the time, he’d keep an eye on you. The likes of Teddy Sheringham were around, it was just an exciting time.’

Up Pompey! Portsmouth snapped up a young Begovic shortly after arriving in England

Decisions, decisions: Begovic had to decide whether to follow Harry Redknapp to Tottenham or join Tony Pulis at Stoke



Begovic met his American-born wife, Nicolle, on the south coast but in 2010 he had to choose between Spurs and Stoke as Pompey went into financial meltdown.



By then, Redknapp was the Spurs manager but Begovic again showed rare independence of mind to disappoint his old boss.



‘I had Harry on one line and Tony [Pulis, the Stoke manager] on the other,’ he said. ‘A lot of people were telling me Tottenham were great, but I had a feeling coming to Stoke would be better for my football education.



‘When the decision was made, I told Harry man-to-man on the phone. I gave my reasons and made sure he knew it was nothing against him, he’s a great guy. I just thought this was a different way to go.’



So far, Begovic has been proved right. His form at Stoke before his injury in training on Christmas Day had Europe’s big boys watching. He even scored a goal with a freak clearance against Southampton.

Scarf ace: Roberto Mancini wanted to bring Begovic to Manchester City before losing his job

Second choice: Liverpool only signed Simon Mignolet after they failed to land Begovic from Stoke

Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini was planning to sign him shortly before he was sacked and Liverpool bought Sunderland’s Simon Mignolet only after failing to meet Stoke’s £15m valuation of Begovic.



If he is disappointed about missing out, the 26-year-old hides it well. ‘Everyone wants to play at the highest level,’ he said. ‘But it’s not my style to throw my toys out of the pram about a move. I am employed by the club and the business side of things you leave to them. If they value me high, it obviously shows I mean a lot to them. I take it as a positive thing.’



Hughes succeeded Pulis last summer and the goalkeeper has responded to the new broom at the Britannia. ‘My role has changed from the first day in pre-season,’ said Begovic.



‘Before, we’d play more defensively, slow the game down to make sure it was at our pace. Now the tempo is higher and that starts with me getting the ball out to the guys quicker on the ground.



‘I use my feet a bit more and I’m building a relationship with my team-mates where they feel they can give me more of the ball.



‘It’s the modern game. As a boy in Germany, I loved Oliver Kahn as a keeper. He was fantastic, but distribution was never mentioned! Now the game is different and you have to be part of the play.’

Totally spreadable: Begovic makes himself large to try and thwart Manchester United striker Robin van Persie (R)

Relief: New Stoke manager will be pleased to see Begovic return after watching his side concede 16 goals in six games

Off the pitch, Begovic is settled. Rather than living in the footballers’ wives districts of Cheshire, he is based in rural Staffordshire. It is ideal for Nicolle’s love of horses, a passion which could see her represent Bosnia in dressage at a future Olympic Games. His foundation — www.asmirbegovicfoundation.com — helps to build and improve recreational facilities to help children in both England and Bosnia.

