Everton’s Muhamed Besic interview: ‘I think the fans like me because I love to tackle’

Omar Al Raisi talks to the Bosnia-Herzegovina international about adjusting to life in England, his love for his national team, and his devotion to his faith.

Muhamed Besic in action for Everton during the FA CUp semi-final against Manchester United. Mike Hewitt / Getty Images
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After three impressive performances for Bosnia-Herzegovina at the 2014 World Cup finals in Brazil, several clubs from Spain, Italy and England approached Muhamed Besic, but the Ferencvaros midfielder had his mind firmly set on the Premier League.

“England is the best league in the world, I like England a lot. After the World Cup, Everton came in and clubs from England, Italy and Spain as well but I told my manager I only wanted to go to Everton,” he said of his thought process.

“The manager, Roberto Martinez, is one of the reasons why I chose to come and play here. I’ve learnt a lot from him.”

Bosnia were unlucky not to make the knockout rounds, losing 2-1 to Lionel Messi’s Argentina and dominating Nigeria before going down 1-0. They did beat Iran 3-1.

“It was a good experience to play against Messi,” Besic said. “Did I swap shirts? No. No. I always keep my shirts. I never change my shirts because playing for Bosnia means so much to me.”

After Brazil, he joined Everton from his Hungarian club for £4.8 million (Dh25.7m) and Besic has already been rewarded for the impact he has had with a new five-and-a-half-year contract. His committed displays have seen him become a fan favourite at Goodison Park.

“I think the fans like me because I love to tackle,” he said. “In England you make a tackle and the crowd lifts. I am really pleased with that. I like it better than in Germany and in Hungary, where I played before. That is my quality. It is a natural quality, I don’t train to tackle. It just comes out.”

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Those fans have also impressed Besic, who says Everton’s support is up there with the best.

“I remember the game in Lille (in the Europa League in October 2014). There were nearly 10,000 supporters, it’s good when you have that many people behind you,” Besic said.

“I was at every stadium in the Premier League last season and I saw all the [Everton] fans. There are so many supporters, they are better than most fans in England. For example, when we played at Aston Villa, the fans of Aston Villa were quiet.

“But when we play at Goodison and [Leighton] Baines goes to take a corner, the Everton fans always clap. Small things like this, you see that Everton is a big club and the fans love the club.”

Besic, 23, comes from a Muslim family from a small Bosnian village called Falesici, but he was born in Berlin. He chose to play for his country of origin over his birthplace.

“When people ask me why I play for Bosnia, it is because I have that connection,” he said.

“When I was 19 I had the chance to play for Germany or Bosnia, and I chose to play for Bosnia. Maybe for my career with Hamburg it would have been better to have chosen Germany, but I have always followed my heart like that.

“I was very small when I first starting playing. The first club I had was when I was eight. I played as a No 10 until I was 16 and then I became a central defender. The coach moved me back because he saw that I was aggressive.

“I was a centre-back for five or six years. The World Cup in Brazil was the first time I played as a No 6 in midfield.”

Moving to a new country and adapting to a different style of football was an adjustment for Besic as he is willing to acknowledge.

“When I first arrived here it was difficult for me but now I feel at home. When I first came here, I didn’t have even one day off, I hadn’t had any time free for nearly two years. It wasn’t what I expected at first, and it was hard at the beginning but now I think I am better than before.

“Every game I have played this past season has helped me. From the manager too I have learnt many things. I always try and listen in order to learn something.”

“When people look at my game, before and now, I think I have improved a lot in many different areas. But I am still adapting to the league and I will continue to work hard and give my best.”

He said his faith has also helped him. “Religion is important in my life, up to 16, I would always go to the mosque but then when you are alone and without parents, I always believed but I lost a bit of the routine.”

“Now I try to go to the mosque as often as I can and pray. Now I have grown and I am at a time where I need this faith. With age, you want to have that more and more. You have to learn to realise what is important in life and, for me, religion is.”

On a disappointing 2015/16 season

“We should be higher in the table, we have to look at the reasons why and learn from them. For example we played really well for the first 60 minutes at Chelsea and took a deserved lead. After that there were 10 minutes when we didn’t keep possession so well and we were punished for two mistakes. You can imagine what the dressing room is like when you have thrown away a victory in the 98th minute. Nobody speaks after that because we are all disappointed because we care.”

On how he tries to improve

“Every goal that we concede I always search for my mistake. Maybe even when I am not involved in the action, still I think maybe I can do this or do that. Sometimes maybe I am too critical, I go home after the game, watch it that night and then the next day I move on and try to put right next week whatever I did wrong. Normally just the bad things I take because good things will stay with you all the time anyway. I just look to improve more and more.”

On the FA Cup. Besic started out of position at right-back in a patched up Everton defence in the 2-1 semi-final defeat to Manchester United on April 23.

“The Cup is more important here than in other countries, I think because it’s the oldest cup competition in the world, you can feel it also, every game is difficult. When you play against smaller teams, I think it’s just like magic because you know the Cup is magic and strange. I heard about it before I came to England but I couldn’t feel it. Now, I feel it.”

On the Qatar 2022 World Cup.

“I know the passion for football in the Middle East first hand as in my time at Everton we have spent time in Qatar and Dubai for mid-season training. I enjoyed our time there and the people we met were very friendly. The World Cup in Qatar is a long way away but World Cups are always special tournaments and I am sure the winter World Cup in Qatar will be the same. I hope to still be playing in the national team and to experience it.”

On missing out on Euro 2016

“It was disappointing not to qualify for Euro 2016. We lost to Republic of Ireland in the play-off and they are a good side. I was disappointed but happy for my teammates Seamus Coleman and James McCarthy and I hope they go on and do well in the tournament.”

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