Jarrod Bowen has to step up as captain over the coming months.

Despite what some fans think, I’m very much in the camp that Jarrod Bowen is a good captain. While he’s certainly still growing into the role, he’s really developed into a leader on and off the pitch, representing exactly what it means to wear the shirt.

However, his task this season is massive. He’s got to take the remaining pieces of a fragmented squad, glue them together with new players and help them to understand what playing for West Ham really means.

Fixing this divide amongst the players is so crucial, and it will go a massive way towards fixing the disconnect between the fans and the club. Obviously this isn’t fully on Bowen’s shoulders, as Graham Potter has a huge role to play in this, but it’s time like this the captain really needs to pull through.

With so much uncertainty surrounding the club, this will certainly be Bowen’s biggest season as captain.