Former Premier League goalkeeper Asmir Begovic joins Raffaele Papaianni for an in-depth conversation about his journey from Edmonton to the biggest stages in world football.

Begovic looks back on the goalkeeper training that shaped him, leaving Canada at 16 to chase European opportunities, and building his career with Stoke City, Chelsea, AC Milan and more.

He shares what it was like to play under Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte, step into the Champions League, and face Lionel Messi at the 2014 World Cup.The conversation also covers Begovic’s famous full-pitch goal for Stoke City, his most meaningful jersey swap with Gigi Buffon, the stadiums and hostile atmospheres that stand out most, his thoughts on Gianluigi Donnarumma, and why he remains a lifelong Edmonton Oilers fan.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction — welcoming Asmir Begovic

00:37 Moving to Edmonton and early life

01:25 How Edmonton soccer shaped his career

02:24 His father’s goalkeeper coaching

03:22 Becoming an Edmonton Oilers fan

04:23 Skating skills and following the Oilers today

05:16 When the host scored on Asmir

05:46 Leaving Canada at 16 for European trials

06:49 The big break and journey to the Premier League

08:27 Growing at Stoke City

09:33 2014 World Cup — playing Argentina

10:26 Why Lionel Messi is so difficult to stop

11:31 The move to Chelsea FC

12:31 What Jose Mourinho was really like

13:15 Injury, opportunity and the Champions League

14:39 Antonio Conte and winning the Premier League

15:39 How intense managers treat goalkeepers

17:02 The surreal experience of playing for AC Milan

17:58 Fanboy moments and appreciating the journey

18:32 Thoughts on Gianluigi Donnarumma

20:05 Scoring a full-pitch goal for Stoke City

20:59 Do his kids know about the famous goal?

21:53 Media work, coaching and future plans

22:48 Will Asmir pursue professional coaching?

23:29 Best teammates and toughest opponents

25:12 The most memorable stadiums

25:53 The most hostile environments — Turkish clubs

26:27 Closing thoughts and cheering for the Oilers

27:02 Best jersey swap — Gigi Buffon

27:30 Outro