West Ham United ace Jarrod Bowen told to ‘seize his opportunity’ after ridiculous England decision
West Ham ace Jarrod Bowen must “seize his opportunity” for England, according to Sky Sports journalist Ben Grounds.
The winger has been called up by Three Lions boss Gareth Southgate for the matches against Australia and Italy this month.
And Grounds believes the Hammers star has the perfect chance to impress after Arsenal ace Bukayo Saka was “ridiculously” called up before withdrawing due to injury.
“With Bukayo Saka ridiculously called up despite clearly being unavailable, England have opted not to replace the Arsenal forward,” Grounds wrote for Sky Sports.
“As is the way in football, one man’s loss is another man’s gain – and while Saka’s starting berth is virtually guaranteed barring injury, West Ham’s Jarrod Bowen has the chance to stake another claim as his understudy.
“Like Raheem Sterling, Bowen was overlooked for the September internationals – but his current form made him hard to ignore. Fresh from signing a new seven-year contract at the Hammers until summer 2030, Bowen – who earned four caps last year – must seize his opportunity.”
Time to shine
Bowen has enjoyed a superb time of late, with the winger receiving recognition for both club and country. The Hammers man has rightfully earned a recall to the England national team, as well as extending his contract at the London Stadium.
Many eyebrows were raised at the length of the new deal, with Bowen committing his future to the East London outfit until 2030.
But that simply shows just how much the club value their star man, and how desperate they are to keep him in claret and blue for as long as possible.
He has been in scintillating form for the Hammers this season, and should be given the chance to do the same for his country in their matches this month.
The injury to Saka is, of course, unfortunate for the Arsenal man, but it presents Bowen with a golden opportunity to land a starting spot given how they both usually play in right-wing.
In other West Ham news, one Hammers player has sent a two-word message to Eden Hazard after his retirement news.