West Ham completed the 2019/20 season 5 factors shy of relegation, having misplaced half of its matches throughout that marketing campaign.
“I believe it is individuals seeing West Ham for what West Ham are about now. Since I have been right here, we have been staying up from relegation which was loopy to assume,” Bowen tells CNN Sport’s Darren Lewis.
“Quick ahead two and a half years and we completed within the prime six and (are) heading in the right direction to complete within the prime six once more, possibly even get to a Europa League remaining,” he provides. “Individuals ought to take into consideration West Ham otherwise now.
“Simply goes to indicate what occurs when a supervisor [David Moyes] is available in and will get a bunch of gamers which can be 100% dedicated and … wish to work for one another.”
Europa League dream
West Ham’s Europa League journey to the final 4 has been nothing wanting outstanding.
After topping its group stage, West Ham gained 2-1 on combination in opposition to Sevilla with a late winner from Andriy Yarmolenko within the second-leg tie — ending the Spanish facet’s hopes of including to its document six Europa League titles.
Then, West Ham knocked out French membership Lyon 4-1 on combination within the quarterfinals, because of decisive objectives from Craig Dawson, Declan Rice and Bowen — regardless of having performed with 10 males in the course of the second half within the first leg.
“To have that chance in opposition to Lyon and to beat them and undergo was in all probability the perfect feeling ever,” Bowen says.
It appears as if the celebrities have aligned for the draw in opposition to Eintracht Frankfurt, provided that the earlier time each golf equipment met was West Ham’s final European semifinal in 1976.
Like West Ham, Eintracht Frankfurt is a staff to be reckoned with, having beforehand crushed favorites Barcelona on the Camp Nou stadium within the quarterfinals.
“They’re to be feared however I believe we’re as properly,” Bowen says of the draw. “You do not wish to get too forward of your self … you are two video games away from a remaining. It is an thrilling time, I for one am buzzing,” he provides. “It is a particular recreation developing.”
West Ham has by no means performed within the Champions League, and their final European win was after they lifted the Intertoto Cup in 1999.
Bowen says his staff will not cease chasing a Champions League qualification. With 4 video games nonetheless to play, West Ham is eight factors behind fourth-place Arsenal.
“Individuals writing us off is beautiful for me since you like proving individuals flawed on a regular basis,” Bowen says. “As a membership we’ll all the time combat and we wish to be in that fourth spot, and there is not any cause why we will not be.”
‘Exhausting work does beat expertise’
As a teenager, Bowen was instructed he wasn’t ok to play skilled soccer.
After a spate of unsuccessful trials at Aston Villa and Cardiff Metropolis, his childhood dream slipping out of attain.
“To be sincere, I believe what I might been by means of going by means of trials and never figuring out the place I used to be going to be, it was only a case of having fun with my soccer and see what occurs,” says Bowen. “I had a slice of luck, individuals know individuals within the recreation.”
He finally broke into the primary staff at non-league facet Hereford United when he was 17, however his ambitions took one other knock when his house membership financially folded in 2014.
When requested how he pushed by means of he says, “I believe only for the love of the sport and love of … enjoying for my boyhood membership.”
“I had no payments or nothing to pay out for, however you understand, you have a look at a few of the gamers who have been enjoying … that had mortgages and youngsters to pay for. It should have been onerous for them,” he provides. “I had no concern, no duty.”
On the age of 17 Bowen signed with Hull Metropolis, the place he performed for the Underneath-18 staff for a number of years.
“My household did not need me to maneuver so far-off at 17, however shifting that far at such a younger age, I discovered so many life experiences and matured off the pitch, and I believe that maturity went onto the pitch as properly and no impediment appeared too excessive,” Bowen instructed West Ham’s web site.
“Wanting again on it now, I am glad I went additional away from house.”
He was itching to play for Hull Metropolis’s first staff, however noticed his hopes challenged by extra skilled forwards, together with Adama Diomande and Nikica Jelavic.
Bowen lastly made his Premier League debut for Hull in August 2016, though the membership was then relegated in Might 2017.
Bowen spent a number of extra years at Hull sprucing his recreation, earlier than signing with West Ham three years later.
Reflecting on his journey he tells CNN, “I believe onerous work does beat expertise.”
“It is about taking your likelihood and I believe you will get all of the luck on this planet, however I believe for those who’re not able to be prepared on the time that it’s essential to be, you then will not do properly.
“I believe (it) simply exhibits (the) psychological energy I’ve obtained and the resilience I’ve obtained,” he says. “Regardless of what number of instances one thing goes flawed, there’s all the time going to be gentle on the finish of the tunnel.
“I look again on that now and assume thank God I saved enjoying and put my thoughts to it and I had my household round me to assist me, to get me to the place I’m now.”
Like father like son
The West Ham ahead attributes a lot of his success to his father, Sam Bowen.
A retired non-league Welsh footballer, Sam was as soon as on the verge of signing with West Ham on the behest of then-manager Harry Redknapp, in response to the membership’s web site.
He loved a profession as a striker for golf equipment together with Worcester Metropolis, Forest Inexperienced Rovers and Leominster City.
“I imply, he is finished every thing,” Bowen says of his father. “He is seen the highs, the lows of my profession, so you understand, he is every thing to me and he is been there each step of the best way for me.
“As a lot as he praises me, he is additionally my primary critic as properly. once I do not play properly or one thing, he’d be the primary one to inform me. I might want that than him simply telling me how good I’m.”
Bowen grew up on a farm in Herefordshire, England, and has recollections of pushing wheelbarrows of concrete up and down potato fields — an train indicative of his father’s distinctive coaching fashion.
“It is a bit completely different to what you are in all probability used to seeing pre-season … however that is my dad, he is old-fashioned. He is completely different, he would not need me to be the identical as everybody else.”
Bowen explains his father’s mantra is to have “a reverse gear.”
“Regardless of what number of instances you get knocked down, it is about pushing forwards,” provides Bowen.
“I believe that is labored lots for my thoughts as properly; I am resilient, I am by no means crushed, I believe it is simply onerous work and I believe that is why the work I placed on the pitch will get observed by the followers … and I believe that is come from a younger age.”
Underdog turned rising star
As he is risen by means of the ranks of English soccer Bowen has been likened to Premier League strikers akin to Jamie Vardy and Harry Kane, each of whom have loved later success after their days as underdogs within the early levels of their careers.
“I believe the expertise they have is unquestionable, they’re unbelievable two strikers however I believe the onerous work they have and the character they have inside themselves pushes them much more,” Bowen says.
Relating to gamers in attacking positions Bowen counts Lionel Messi and David Beckham as sources of inspiration, however he says Liverpool ahead Mohamed Salah at the moment represents the gold normal.
“I believe that the objectives he scores, you understand, when he will get an opportunity, 9 instances out of 10 it is behind the online, the work he does off the ball as properly,” says Bowen.
“Once we performed in opposition to them, I wasn’t watching him once I was enjoying as a result of that will be flawed to say, however I observed the work he does off the ball.”
Salah has scored 30 objectives for Liverpool throughout the Premier League and the Champions League this season, in addition to making 13 assists.
“I believe consistency is an enormous phrase. I believe particularly in (an) attacking place, individuals anticipate you to provide objectives or arrange objectives in your teammates and that comes with being an attacker, so positively scoring objectives helps with the arrogance,” Bowen says of Salah. “I believe it simply comes from requirements inside your self that you just set.”
West Ham gained their house Premier League match in opposition to Liverpool 3-2 this season, having misplaced the sport at Anfield 1-0.
Because the season involves a detailed, Bowen says he has additionally observed the extent of consistency that is been proven by Liverpool’s ahead gamers like Salah, Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino, Diogo Jota and Luis Diaz.
“I believe you have a look at each entrance three that Liverpool have and the work they do off the ball and we performed them particularly the best way they pressed from the entrance as properly, their entrance three is not only a case of they do not defend; they only assault. They do assault and defend and you understand, they get their rewards from it.”
England calling?
From scoring 9 objectives within the Premier League this season, to tallying three winners for West Ham’s Europa League marketing campaign, Bowen is having a season to recollect.
“The dream is a actuality now. Rising up, it was ‘I wished to be a footballer’, it is soccer or nothing actually,” Bowen says. “It is one hell of a journey and it is gone so fast.
“I’ve blinked and it is fast-forwarded eigh years, however (I am) loving each minute of it.”
However there’s one aim that he hasn’t ticked off his listing.
Regardless of sustaining a heel damage at Anfield earlier this season, Bowen remains to be eyeing a global name up for an England staff that reached the facet’s first main remaining since 1966 at Euro 2020.
“In fact enjoying for England is a goal of mine for certain, I might be mendacity if I stated it wasn’t,” Bowen tells CNN. “I believe I am on the appropriate path, so whether or not it occurs now or sooner or later, I do not know, all I can do is play my recreation and do every thing I can to attempt to please the England supervisor [Gareth Southgate].”
Requested if he hopes to hitch Southgate’s squad on the FIFA World Cup, which is scheduled to happen in Qatar in December, Bowen says: “A million p.c.”
“Enjoying in your nation in the perfect match; I might be mendacity if I stated I have not considered it, as a result of why would not I? It’s nonetheless a protracted solution to go however that is the dream.”
