Jarrod Bowen believes that his side are in the right state of mind to bring home the Hammer’s first European trophy since 1965.

Bowen has been vital to the success of West Ham over recent years. Since joining from Hull he has developed into a nailed on starter in the Premier League and is constantly in contention for a place in the England squad.

However, he’s put this final above being called up for England. “I’ve played for England, but I think achieving this with your teammates who you’ve been with together to get to a final and you have the opportunity to win a trophy together, it will be a massive moment,” he told the club’s Official Website.

“Of course, we’re all excited about being in the final of a European competition and this will be the pinnacle for a lot of players. It will certainly be the biggest game of my career.”

The winger has 4 goals and 3 assists in the Conference League this season, and he’s just behind Antonio as West Ham’s all time European goal scorer.

He spoke on the importance of finding “that balance of not going over the top but also not caring enough.” Like a lot of the players, this is Bowen’s first time in a final so it’s critical to be in the right headspace going into the game. 

“As players we want to be part of that moment,” Bowen confessed, “but for the fans it would mean so much. I want to be part of the squad that gives the fans that moment.”

As part of their preparations for the clash with Fiorentina, the squad traveled to Portugal for three days. “It’s good to get away from the training ground for the final,” he admitted. “We spend all season at the training ground, so I think a few days away in the sunshine is a really positive change heading into the game… It allowed us to get our minds ready for the final in a new environment”

Jarrod has, unsurprisingly, attracted interest from other clubs. Therefore, West Ham aim to tie him down with a new contract, despite still having two years remaining on his current deal but, with him being such a key player, the club want to secure his services for the long term. 

In fairness, it makes sense for him to stay at West Ham, with the twins just being born to a famously cockney Mother and their Grandfather, Danny Dyer, being a massive West Ham fan. On top of that, Bowen declared his affection for the club. “I love this Club and it’s an absolute privilege to play here,” he said. “To have these moments and be preparing for a final, I would have never thought that it would had happened when I joined West Ham – so it fills me with so much pride that I’m part of the squad that could do that.”

The final is just days away at this point and the players, staff, and fans are all doing the final preparations to make this an unforgettable night that’ll go down in West Ham’s history. Fiorentina are not to be taken lightly but West Ham have the quality to be triumphant. “We believe we’ve got a really good opportunity to win this game,” exclaimed Bowen, rounding off his interview.

We’ve had a great couple of seasons, travelling all over Europe and creating unforgettable memories. We’re not ready for that to end. It’s going to nervy but the fans are believing too, surely it’s time to end all these years of hurt?