The return to form of Asmir Begovic has been quite miraculous. When he has gone out on loan in Azerbaijan, I never expected him to return to play another game for the Cherries. He was a flat as he could have been, and had perhaps fallen out of love with the game. But his time in Azerbaijan and at AC Milan turned his fortunes around, and under Jason Tondall he has just kept improving.
To do well in any league you need a top-quality keeper. The experience that Begovic has is really second to none in the Championship, and at his best he is surely good enough to be the top Championship keeper. The question is would he be good enough to play in the Premier League next season if Bournemouth did win back promotion? I think he would start games, but Bournemouth may need some extra cover in that position. While Bournemouth have had a conveyor belt of keepers in recent years, the age of Begovic is on the higher side and they'll need to give Mark Travers more game time at some point if they are to keep his interest at AFCB.
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Begovic doesn't seem ready to hand over the shirt just now though. He has been playing as if his life depended on it to keep clean sheets and keep Bournemouth in games. He has put himself in the frame to be a strong candidate for player of the season, and perhaps his calming influence has been good for the younger players at the club who know they have a reliable keeper behind them at the back.
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What the future holds for Begovic is really what he makes of it from what I see. He could go on to win many more starts for the Cherries, but he has to stay consistent. That is what he lost under Eddie Howe, but he has a second opportunity now and is looking to make the most of it.
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