Angelo Ogbonna gushes over West Ham United teammate Jarrod Bowen after recent London Stadium development
West Ham United defender Angelo Ogbonna believes teammate Jarrod Bowen deserves all the plaudits he’s getting right now following his improved form at the London Stadium this season.
The 26-year-old forward has been spectacular for the Hammers so far this campaign having now scored and assisted a combined six goals and one assist in seven games – a tally only Mohammed Salah, Ollie Watkins (both seven) and Erling Haaland (nine) can better.
Such form deservedly led to a new contract six-and-a-half-year deal announced on Sunday, 8 October at the London Stadium and an international call-up to the latest England squad from Southgate.
And Ogbonna speaking to Sky Sports News [via Football Daily] on Tuesday 17 October praised the trajectory of Bowen’s career and how much he’s improved since signing for the club.
He said: “Ever since he [Bowen] signed for the club, he’s been unbelievable and he’s the one of course with Declan Rice, he made history, scoring that last goal in the Europa Conference League final.
“His development is very very important for the club, important for him, he really deserves contract, for the sacrifice he’s made.
“No one talks about his process, he had a really good process, starting out with Hull City and in Non-league and then coming to West Ham with that kind of impact is very important.”
Elite-level player
Bowen’s performances for the Hammers will have certainly put a number of the Premier League’s elite on high alert given his tremendous success at the London Stadium.
The new, agreed long-term contract for Bowen, who had attracted interest from a clutch of suitors including Liverpool (The Athletic 11 September), and even the Gunners (Luke Edwards, 5 October) is certainly a strong indication of a club who continues to improve but also send out a message to the so-called big clubs that they are no longer a selling entity.
The Englishman has been nothing short of superb since signing from Hull City in January 2020 undergoing a dream development since then, having scored a number of memorable goals along the way in East London.
After the sale of Rice to the Gunners over the summer, it will have certainly set a bad precedent that the Hammers were always open for business on their key asset but Bowen is surely now an elite-level player in Europe – a commodity West Ham United would have been very silly to let go.
However, Bowen’s new deal not only sends out a strong statement that the club will fight tooth and nail to keep their best players at the club but also the fact that they have the financial means and ambitions to do so.
Bowen can only go onwards and upwards from here, and that is a very promising sight for the West Ham United faithful but a scary one for their rivals.
In other West Ham news, one London Stadium summer signing must now be handed his first start against Aston Villa on Sunday after what he did on international duty on Monday (16 October).