Jarrod Bowen believes his superior mental fortitude can propel him all the way to the World Cup. The West Ham captain, 28, said he doubted whether he would even turn professional, but insists he has defied expectations throughout his career. Bowen was unable to secure a spot on the Qatar 2022 national team and unfortunately missed out on reaching the top, but he is determined to seize the opportunity this time.
The England attacker has risen through the non-league ranks at club level and believes his tenacity is the driving force behind his greed whenever he represents his country. Bowen, who was impressed on a recent trip to Albania, explained: “It’s similar to my West Ham mentality. Ever since I started playing football at Hereford, I’ve always had the same thing. I never thought I’d end up playing professional football. That’s the bottom line.”
“Coming from Hereford and coming from the Conference, I never thought I would be standing here talking about my 20th cap.
“It’s about knowing what I’m capable of and when I’m in the England squad, it’s about showing the manager what I can do in the time I’m given. I was happy with my performance.
“Playing at the highest level is the pinnacle of any player’s career. I was lucky to experience the Euros and the World Cup will be another step towards that.
“I missed out last time, but the next match is coming up soon. It’s important for me to show what I can do in training every day. If I can be the best teammate I can be, I can be the best I can be, and be the best I can be every day.”
“Now we’re back at club level. It’s important that we don’t let up on the accelerator. It’s a long time until the next camp in March, so we want to stay fit for the club.”
Bowen fully understands that his role in major tournaments could be as an impactful replacement for Bukayo Saka and other more established wide players.
But he also made it abundantly clear that despite his underdog mentality, he strongly believes he deserves a place on the team.
Bowen added: “It might be underwhelming against England, but I have to remind myself that I’m not here to gloss over the numbers, I’m here to be recognized for what I’ve done at a consistent level. So for me it’s about showing what I can do every time I get the chance.”
“The guy I’m playing against is Bukayo. Noni Madueke is injured for this camp, but Cole Palmer and Phil Foden can all play there. You’re talking about world-class elite players and I’m in the same category as them.
“I try to play well every week at club level. If I get an opportunity with the England national team in training every day, it’s an opportunity to make an impression. If I have time, it might be five minutes, but I try to make a difference, show something and try to turn it into something positive.”
Bowen also accepted manager Thomas Tuchel’s message about the important role substitutes play in competitions and their ability to change games from the bench. Tuchel is looking to develop multiple attacking options off the bench, while developing a strong pool of influential substitutes.
The Three Lions achieved back-to-back wins against Serbia and Albania in the international window, with substitute Eberechi Eze scoring in the opening game.
This is exactly the approach Tuchel has been asking for, with Bowen explaining: “I saw his comments and we’re talking about it as a group because ultimately if we want to be a winning team, we need guys to make a difference off the bench.”
“It may have only been five or 10 minutes, but Ebus (Eze) came on the other day and scored a goal to make it 2-0 and the game was over.
“I think we work really hard against each other every day in games, but when it comes to games, if we get a chance, I think we’ll be ready because we’ve been practicing at a really high level.
“That’s what makes a really good team successful, and we’re seeing the benefits of that.”
