'Right up there': £10m former Portsmouth man’s big-south-coast derby billing as Southampton wait

Asmir Begovic has ranked the south-coast derby as one of the best in world football.

And the former Pompey keeper believes Tonda Eckert would’ve needed security if Sunday’s showdown was played at Fratton Park after the Spygate scandal.

John Mousinho’s troops lock horns with their bitter rivals this weekend, looking to maintain their 22-year league unbeaten run at St Mary’s.

The Blues go into the contest occupying 19th in the Championship having picked up eight points from their opening seven matches, while Southampton sit 13th after starting with a four-point deduction.

Begovic knows the hostility between the two sides, having risen through the ranks at PO4 as a youngster before going on to make 17 appearances for the Blues.

Away from Fratton Park, the former Bosnia international lined-up in some of world football’s biggest derbies during his impressive two-decade long career.

Former Pompey big south-coast derby billing

And the 39-year-old firmly believes the south-coast derby ranks amongst some of the fiercest out there.

Speaking on Sky Sports, Begovic said: ‘It’s absolutely massive. Talk about fierce and feisty, this is one of the most fiercest derbies around.

I've been involved as a youngster when I was at Pompey and it’s pretty brutal. There’s no love lost, that’s without a shadow of a doubt.

‘I’ve played in some big derbies against Liverpool (for Everton), the Milan one and a few London derbies (for Chelsea) but this is right up there as one of the best of them.

‘It’s really fierce, no love lost in this one.

‘Southampton as a home game can use this as a bit of motivation after everything that’s been going on recently so it’s going to be a really tasty match.’

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Eckert ‘needing security’ at Fratton Park

All eyes were on the FA’s verdict for Southampton boss Eckert in the build-up to the encounter following the hearing for the Spygate scandal.

The German has since been handed a six-week suspended ban and slapped with a £28,000 fine by English football’s governing body for his involvement in the controversy that rocked the Championship.

And Begovic is adamant the head coach would’ve required security if Sunday’s contest was at Fratton Park.

‘Talk about needing security to help you at Fratton Park! That would’ve been really difficult and hostile for him.

‘Being at home will give them a bit of an edge. It’s a big game for both teams, massive to try and get one over each other but it’s such a massive derby in that part of the country.’

After Eckert avoided serious punishment from the FA, the former Pompey keeper believes the head coach’s sanctions were ‘about right’.

‘When you put the whole context into it and everything else that's gone on before, I think it's about right.

‘You have to take into consideration the punishment of Southampton losing out on the play-offs.

‘Not being able to go for promotion, I think, is the biggest punishment they could have had - and rightly so - plus the points deduction.

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