How Thomas Tuchel has just left Jarrod Bowen door wide open with response to Man City question

West Ham captain Jarrod Bowen still has hope of making a return to the England squad.

After the Hammers were relegated to the Championship, Bowen's chances of featuring for his nation were diminished.

There has not been a frequent history of second-tier or below players making the squad and he was ultimately left out of the World Cup roster.

Bowen's decision to stay at West Ham was a brave one with that in mind.

He was effectively limiting his chances of an international call-up in order to help the Hammers make their Premier League return a swift one.

However, Thomas Tuchel has now issued fresh hope for Bowen over a possible call-up this season.

What has Thomas Tuchel said about calling up Championship players?

The England manager has not directly mentioned Bowen, but he has talked about players in a similar situation to the West Ham skipper.

Amid the ongoing lawsuit with Manchester City, that case has been taking up plenty of the news cycle.

Tuchel, who is manager of England and has called up plenty of Man City players, was then left to field hypothetical questions over the international future of those stars.

When asked if he would consider calling up players within the second tier of a league system, he told reporters at Friday's pre-Croatia news conference: "There is always a possibility."

Tuchel would go on to say: "I would always try to pick the best team for the camp, for the occasion, for the tournament.

"I will never rule out that because they don't play in the top flight in their country. We need to look at it case by case."

Those are certainly words that Bowen will enjoy hearing, and it will only further add motivation for him to perform.

The winger has undoubtedly been one of the Championship's top performers this season, and if he continues as he is, he may become impossible to ignore.

However, it could take something special for that to happen.

When was the last time a second-tier player got called up by England?

It has not been that long since a Championship player got the chance to train with England.

However, that most recent occasion was James Trafford, who was ultimately an unused goalkeeper during the March 2025 squad.

Before then, you have to go back five years when Sam Johnstone, who was at West Brom in 2021, started for the Three Lions.

Overall, the chances may be slim, but Tuchel has not completely closed the door.