By Dan Carter

16th Nov, 2023 | 7:10am

Anton Ferdinand makes admission about West Ham United star Jarrod Bowen live on talkSPORT

Anton Ferdinand has admitted that it is “going to be hard” for West Ham United’s Jarrod Bowen to make the England squad for Euro 2024.

The Irons’ winger has been included in Gareth Southgate’s squads during the last two international breaks as he continues to go from strength to strength at the start of the season, having scored eight in 12 Premier League outings.

While Ferdinand thinks that the 26-year-old is more than capable of earning his place in the squad, he admits that Bowen’s lack of tournament experience and the competition for places could see him left in England next summer.

Speaking on talkSPORT (15 November, 16:39) he said: “If we go back to what Gareth Southgate said in his first press conference, that he’ll pick players on form and if they’re playing for their football club. If he’s playing like this, he has to go.

“It’s a must. Right now he’s the squad because of his form and what he’s doing, the records that he’s breaking. He’s not just playing, he’s producing. You want that in your England squad, you want players who are going to bring product to your team.

“He has to and I think that’s why he’s there at the moment, but it’s going to be hard for him because he’s not had any tournament experience, it’s going to be hard for him.

“But if he’s playing the way that he is, he’s got a fantastic chance of being involved.”

Keep it up

The only way that Bowen can ensure that he is in England’s squad for next summer’s tournament in Germany is to sustain this level of club form for the remainder of the campaign and in turn he will render himself undroppable.

Bowen has been electric for West Ham so far this season and is not only the Hammers’ top goal scorer but the top-scoring Englishman in the Premier League, with Callum Wilson trailing closely behind with eight for Newcastle.

His ability to play both out wide and through the middle will be attractive to Southgate as he looks to steal a position or two in his squad for the tournament and should the 26-year-old maintain his goalscoring form, he will have to be included in the squad as Ferdinand suggested.

But there is always the worry that he may have peaked at the wrong time. People involved in football have very short memories and should somebody like Eberechi Eze or Anthony Gordon finish the season strongly, you wouldn’t put it past Southgate to snub Bowen.

He wouldn’t be the first West Ham man to be unfortunate to miss out on the Three Lions squad but it could be a boost to the Irons to have Bowen and Ward-Prowse have the entire summer off without a major tournament.

In other West Ham news, Danny Mills has defended Gareth Southgate’s decision to not include James Ward-Prowse in the England squad