Former Town skipper Jason De Vos has revealed that England made an enquiry regarding loanee Blues keeper Asmir Begovic before he switched international allegiance from Canada to Bosnia. The Portsmouth man is in the Bosnia squad for this weekend’s World Cup play-off first leg against Portugal, having made his debut last month.
Begovic’s defection to the country of his birth after playing for Canada, where he grew up, at youth levels has caused controversy in North America, but in a column for CBC Sports De Vos says the Canadian Soccer Association (CSA) could have prevented the 22-year-old from making the move: "You may… believe that the CSA gave Begovic every opportunity over the years to don the Canadian jersey, and that his decision to play elsewhere is down to no one but himself - that is certainly the answer that you will get from anyone involved with the national side.
"But here is an interesting piece of information that might influence your opinion - the CSA was warned about Begovic's situation months ago.
"I received a phone call from my former agent in the UK prior to Canada's game against Cyprus in May. He gave me some information about one of his clients - Asmir Begovic - who hadn't been called up for the Cyprus game.
"He told me that the English FA had asked him whether there was a possibility that Begovic could obtain English citizenship. At the time, Begovic was regarded as the best goalkeeper under the age of 21 in the UK, and if he were to obtain an English passport, he would very likely be selected to play for the England U21s.
"I passed that information on to the Canadian national team through the necessary channels, and it was met with relative indifference. There was certainly no urgency to seek a commitment from Begovic, nor was there any real fear that Canada was in danger of losing one of its players.”
Begovic, who is on loan with the Blues until January, has so far made five appearances since making his move to Portman Road last month.