Asmir Begović
Asmir Begović (Bosnian pronunciation: [âsmir bêːɡoʋitɕ]; born 20 June 1987) is a Bosnian professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for and captains EFL Championship club Queens Park Rangers.
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Begović with Bosnia and Herzegovina in 2015 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Asmir Begović | ||
| Date of birth | 20 June 1987 | ||
| Place of birth | Trebinje, SR Bosnia and Herzegovina, Yugoslavia | ||
| Height | 1.99 m (6 ft 6 in) | ||
| Position(s) | Goalkeeper | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Queens Park Rangers | ||
| Number | 1 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1994–1997 | FC Kirchhausen | ||
| 1998–2004 | Southwest Sting Edmonton | ||
| 2004–2005 | Portsmouth | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2005–2010 | Portsmouth | 11 | (0) |
| 2005 | → La Louvière (loan) | 2 | (0) |
| 2006 | → Macclesfield Town (loan) | 3 | (0) |
| 2007 | → AFC Bournemouth (loan) | 8 | (0) |
| 2008 | → Yeovil Town (loan) | 2 | (0) |
| 2008 | → Yeovil Town (loan) | 14 | (0) |
| 2009 | → Ipswich Town (loan) | 6 | (0) |
| 2010–2015 | Stoke City | 160 | (1) |
| 2015–2017 | Chelsea | 19 | (0) |
| 2017–2021 | AFC Bournemouth | 107 | (0) |
| 2019–2020 | → Qarabağ (loan) | 10 | (0) |
| 2020 | → AC Milan (loan) | 2 | (0) |
| 2021–2023 | Everton | 4 | (0) |
| 2023– | Queens Park Rangers | 39 | (0) |
| International career | |||
| 2004–2007 | Canada U20 | 11 | (0) |
| 2009–2020 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 63 | (0) |
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 00:39, 30 March 2024 (UTC) | |||
Begović started his senior career at Portsmouth, signing for them in the summer of 2003. After a sequence of loans, he made his Premier League debut in May 2009 and was sold to Stoke City for £3.25 million in February 2010. In the 2012–13 season, he played every league match and won the club's Player of the Year award. In November 2013, Begović became the fifth goalkeeper to score a goal in the Premier League, scoring from 97.5 yards (89.15 meters) against Southampton after 13 seconds, also getting the World Record for 'longest goal scored in football'. In July 2015, he joined Premier League champions Chelsea for a fee of £8 million, remaining second-choice until his move to AFC Bournemouth two years later. After losing his place to Artur Boruc early in 2019, he was loaned to Qarabağ and A.C. Milan before signing for Everton.
Begović represented Canada at youth level playing for them at the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup. In 2009, he decided to change his allegiance and represent his native country, Bosnia and Herzegovina. He soon established himself as their number one goalkeeper and helped them qualify for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, their first major tournament.