Canadian goalkeeper Asmir Begovic has re-signed with Portsmouth. (Jimmy Jeong/Canadian Press)

Canadian goalkeeper Asmir Begovic signed a three-year contract extension with Portsmouth, the English Premier League club announced Wednesday.

The new deal ties Begovic to Portsmouth until the end of the 2010-11 season.

"It's a nice honour to be wanted here. I've been here a long time and there's not really a reason for me to want to leave, so I think it's a mutual decision to stay," Begovic told Portsmouth's official website.

Begovic, 21, has yet to make a first-team start for the English club since joining its youth team five years ago.

Begovic, who was born in Bosnia but brought up in Canada, was a regular on the substitute's bench in the second half of last season, and also has first-team experience thanks to loan deals with Macclesfield Town, Bournemouth and Yeovil Town.

The Canadian said he plans to challenge veteran shot-stopper David James for a regular starting spot at Portsmouth, but knows he has his work cut out for him.

"It's a gradual thing. I started here with the youth team, then I was training with the first team and now I need to become established and go out and play and keep pushing up. That's what I want to keep trying to do.

"Competing for a place in the team is one of the most difficult things about being a keeper," said Begovic. "It's hard with someone as good as David James in front of you, but it's good to see what he does, to learn from him.

"He's England's number one. He works hard, has different ways of doing things and you pick things up from him. We have a good relationship."

Begovic played for Canada at the 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cup.