Bowen sets high standard in quest for Qatar

IT WAS a Monday night and Jarrod Bowen and his five friends were the only customers underneath the creaking old beams of the Chequers pub in Leominster.

The West Ham winger and his pals were there to watch England’s opening game of the World Cup. Gareth Southgate’s side toiled away against Tunisia, and the friends cheered when Harry Kane scored the injury-time winner.

Bowen spent most of his weekends there that summer three years ago. He was back home enjoying some downtime after finishing the season at Hull as top scorer and their player of the season.

It’s unlikely to be the case when the next World Cup starts. Bowen could be at the heart of it. On current form, Southgate cannot overlook him.

He is the stand-out England player of the season. Eight goals and eight assists for West Ham in the Premier League. Only Mo Salah has more combined.

‘There’s plenty more goals I could have scored already this season,’ Bowen said. ‘That’s where I need to improve if I want to go on to another level again.’

He uses Salah as the benchmark. ‘That’s what you base it on, off the very best. And I think Salah is the best in the world. Same position, similar players, both being leftfooted, I look at his numbers. That’s why I think I should have had more goals.’

David Moyes, Bowen’s manager at West Ham, will surely hope he does. At times, it feels as though West Ham’s top-four hopes are being carried by Bowen, a mark of how far he and the club have come. The clash with Wolves this afternoon is almost two years to the day since Bowen made his first start for the club — and scored his first goal — following his £18million move from Hull. He joined a team in a relegation scrap. Now, they are in European competition pushing for more.

‘It’s been a bit crazy when you look back,’ he says. ‘This season we’re talking about finishing in a Champions League place. As a player, it’s where you want to be.’

And in a few months’ time, Bowen’s destination might be Qatar with England.

‘I haven’t got too invested in the England situation because once you do, it is on your mind when you play,’ Bowen says.

‘It’s my dream to play for my country but if it doesn’t happen it’s not the end of the world. It’s up to me then to keep improving and put my case forward.’