West Ham’s Jarrod Bowen was absolutely ecstatic to be named in England’s squad for the upcoming European Championships.
While the majority of fans do enjoy watching England play in major tournaments, it’s always that little bit more special when one of your own players is representing the country. For a while, it wasn’t something West Ham got to experience all that often and, following the departure of Declan Rice, there was a real possibility it wouldn’t happen again for a while.
Thankfully, Gareth Southgate has made the right decision by calling up Jarrod Bowen to the EUROs after an immense season which saw him contribute 30 goal involvements. Representing his country isn’t something Bowen ever imagined happening though considering his humble beginnings in non league football.
“I’m so proud,” the winger stated. “Any callup for your country is amazing, but to go to a major competition like the Euros is so special, and I’m so excited.”
“I’ve watched European Championships and World Cups at home [in Leominster in Herefordshire] and in the local pub as a fan, and I never dreamed that I would get the chance to play at a tournament like that. It’s going to be incredible.”
“I’m confident I can make a difference to the team, though. Every time I’ve played for England I’ve tried to show what I can do, and ultimately you get picked for playing well consistently. We’ve got so many good players, and it’s up to me and the rest of the boys to go over to Germany and show what we can do.”
Every single West Ham fan will be delighted for their star man and they will be eager to see him perform at the levels he does in claret and blue on the international stage. He’s had a lot of doubters from those outside of the Hammers fanbase but, given the opportunity, we all know he will prove every single one of them wrong.