Friday 6 February 2015 08:31, UK
Asmir Begovic has told Sky Sports News HQ's Rob Dorsett that he wants to be part of what Mark Hughes is building at Stoke.
Five years ago, Chelsea offered £4m to buy Stoke City's new goalkeeper. The bid was rejected. Asmir Begovic was 22, he had only been at Stoke for five months, and was second choice to Thomas Sorensen. Stoke's hierarchy made a smart decision.
This season, Begovic has been ever-present in the league, and he's due for his 149th Premier League appearance for Stoke against Newcastle on Sunday. Stoke believe his market value is now three times what Chelsea offered to pay in 2010.
But with only 18 months left on his current contract, what does the future hold? Is the Bosnian considering doing a Bosman, next summer, and leaving for free?
"I want to keep pushing forward," he says. "I've been here five years now, I feel I've progressed, improved as a player. I'm now getting to the stage of my career where I want to achieve things, win things."
Begovic says he's in no hurry to begin negotiations on an extension to his existing Stoke contract.
"I've got some time left on my current deal; we'll see. We'll discuss things as time goes on. I've not had any discussions about my contract or an extension - that's usually done in the last 12 months of a deal. But I'm happy here, we are trying to build something here. We'll see what happens, but I hope to be a part of that."
Since Chelsea's interest in 2010, Begovic has also be linked with Liverpool and Real Madrid. So what if one of Europe's big boys came calling?
"I've got a great relationship with the manager and the chairman here. If things like that come up in the future I'm sure we'll discuss them. Football is a business at the end of the day. But I haven't really thought about it. I'm just focussing on my football, trying to improve as a player, and trying to get Stoke up the table."
With that in mind, he says Mark Hughes' arrival has been a breath of fresh air. He may be in no rush himself, but he's keen to see the manager sign a new contract with the club, after Stoke's hierarchy indicated they want to extend Hughes' contract beyond the 18 months left on his deal.
Pulis had seven years in charge of Stoke in his second spell, and it looks like Hughes may be here for the long term too. Begovic says the club's patience and stability is an example to other clubs.
I'm happy here, we are trying to build something here. We'll see what happens, but I hope to be a part of that.
"It's the way to get success. It takes time for a manager to get his ideas across, but that long term stability is vital for a club."
He admits that Hughes's approach took some time to adapt to, after he had three-and-a-half seasons under Pulis.
The Opta statistics show just how dramatic that change has been. In Pulis's last season in charge, Begovic kicked long over 81 per cent of the balls in his possession. This season, it's lower than 68 per cent. And already this season, with 15 games remaining, Begovic has passed the ball short 102 times - for the whole of the 2012-13 season, that stat was just 94.
"The first few months were tough for us to grasp exactly what he wanted. We all had to adjust to a new style, a new way of playing. The gaffer likes us to keep the ball, keep it on the floor. It took some time for us all to get used to - to understand. But I think we have adapted well. I know I have improved as a player, and I enjoy the way he wants us to play."
"Yes, sometimes that means I'm a bit more exposed at the back, because we are trying to play more attacking football. But it's our job as a defensive unit to deal with that; to get the ball to those guys with talent in good situations. If we can do that, we know we have the quality up there to score goals and win games."
He admits that the loss of Stoke's most creative player, Bojan, to a cruciate knee ligament injury has been a big blow for the squad. But he thinks the club was right to avoid panic-buying on Transfer Deadline Day.
Now the focus turns to a Newcastle United side that Begovic says has been rejuvenated.
"Again, sorting out the situation with the manager (John Carver has been confirmed in the role until the end of the season) gives players that bit of stability. And it's no coincidence that as soon as that happened, they got a cracking result at Hull (where Newcastle won 3-0 last weekend).
"We've had some tough experiences at St James' Park over the years. But they're our nearest rivals in the league, so it's important we put some distance between them and ourselves.
"We are sitting just about where we want to be in the table. The top ten is huge for us, but our goal is to keep progressing, and that means beating our points total and where we finished in the league last season (9th). I don't see why we can't have a good cup run too. We are in the fifth round, and we have a lot of belief."
The FA Cup is Begovic's only opportunity to satisfy his desire to "win something" this season. And he's shown great loyalty to Stoke - the club that rescued him from the sinking ship that was Portsmouth in 2010.
But Begovic is still only 27. He is sure his best years as a goalkeeper are ahead of him, and most commentators would agree. The brilliant Bosnian, most feel, wouldn't look out of place in the Champions League. His ambition and ability mean it will surely be difficult for Stoke to keep him in the Potteries, beyond the summer of 2016. But Hughes will be keen to try.
