Begovic keen to challenge Courtois

Chelsea goalkeeper Asmir Begovic believes he can challenge Thibaut Courtois to be first-choice at the Premier League champions.

The Bosnia-Herzegovina international joined Chelsea in July from Stoke City in a deal worth a reported £8million, with the 28-year-old signing a four-year contracted.

Begovic is welcoming the test of pushing Belgium shot-stopper Courtois, who impressed last 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.

“There have been no guarantees from the manager. The challenge that’s here, the manager and players was what attracted to me.

“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.”

Begovic denied joining Chelsea purely for money and believes he will improve testing himself against the best.

“Obviously everyone has their opinion, but for me it was more of a challenge to try something different,” he said.

“I think I was at that stage where I want to test myself against the best and that’s ultimately what I’ve come here to do.

“Even after the first week you can see the quality here and how they can improve you with the levels and demands here.”