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 folks seeing West Ham for what West Ham are about now. Since I have been right here, we had been staying up from relegation which was loopy to suppose,” Bowen tells CNN Sport’s Darren Lewis.
“Quick ahead two and a half years and we completed within the prime six and (are) on track to complete within the prime six once more, perhaps even get to a Europa League closing,” he provides. “Individuals ought to take into consideration West Ham in a different way now.
“Simply goes to point out what occurs when a supervisor [David Moyes] is available in and will get a gaggle of gamers which are 100% dedicated and … need to work for one another.”
Europa League dream
West Ham’s Europa League journey to the final 4 has been nothing wanting exceptional.
Then, West Ham knocked out French membership Lyon 4-1 on mixture 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 towards Lyon and to beat them and undergo was most likely one of the best feeling ever,” Bowen says.
It appears as if the celebrities have aligned for the draw towards 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 workforce 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 need to get too forward of your self … you are two video games away from a closing. It is an thrilling time, I for one am buzzing,” he provides. “It is a particular sport arising.”
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 workforce 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 folks mistaken on a regular basis,” Bowen says. “As a membership we’ll at all times struggle and we need to be in that fourth spot, and there isn’t any cause why we will not be.”
‘Arduous work does beat expertise’
As a teen, Bowen was informed he wasn’t ok to play skilled soccer.
“To be trustworthy, I believe what I might been by means of going by means of trials and never realizing 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, folks know folks within the sport.”
He ultimately broke into the primary workforce at non-league aspect Hereford United when he was 17, however his ambitions took one other knock when his residence 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 realize, you take a look at a number of the gamers who had been enjoying … that had mortgages and children to pay for. It should have been exhausting for them,” he provides. “I had no concern, no accountability.”
On the age of 17 Bowen signed with Hull Metropolis, the place he performed for the Below-18 workforce for a couple of years.
“My household did not need me to maneuver so distant at 17, however shifting that far at such a younger age, I realized 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 informed West Ham’s web site.
“Wanting again on it now, I am glad I went additional away from residence.”
He was itching to play for Hull Metropolis’s first workforce, 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 Could 2017.
Bowen spent a couple of extra years at Hull sprucing his sport, earlier than signing with West Ham three years later.
Reflecting on his journey he tells CNN, “I believe exhausting work does beat expertise.”
“It is about taking your probability and I believe you will get all of the luck on the earth, however I believe when you’re not able to be prepared on the time that it’s essential to be, then you definately will not do properly.
“I believe (it) simply reveals (the) psychological energy I’ve acquired and the resilience I’ve acquired,” he says. “Regardless of what number of occasions one thing goes mistaken, there’s at all times going to be mild on the finish of the tunnel.
“I look again on that now and suppose thank God I stored 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 accordance with 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 accomplished every part,” Bowen says of his father. “He is seen the highs, the lows of my profession, so you realize, he is every part to me and he is been there each step of the way in which for me.
“As a lot as he praises me, he is additionally my primary critic as properly. You recognize after I do not play properly or one thing, he’d be the primary one to inform me. I might choose 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 most likely used to seeing pre-season … however that is my dad, he is old skool. 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 occasions you get knocked down, it is about pushing forwards,” provides Bowen.
“I believe that is labored so much for my thoughts as properly; I am resilient, I am by no means crushed, I believe it is simply exhausting 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 reminiscent of 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 exhausting work they have and the character they have inside themselves pushes them much more,” Bowen says.
“I believe that the objectives he scores, you realize, when he will get an opportunity, 9 occasions out of 10 it is behind the web, the work he does off the ball as properly,” says Bowen.
“After we performed towards them, I wasn’t watching him after I was enjoying as a result of that will be mistaken 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, folks anticipate you to provide objectives or arrange objectives to your teammates and that comes with being an attacker, so undoubtedly scoring objectives helps with the boldness,” Bowen says of Salah. “I believe it simply comes from requirements inside your self that you just set.”
West Ham received their residence Premier League match towards Liverpool 3-2 this season, having misplaced the sport at Anfield 1-0.
“I believe you take a look at each entrance three that Liverpool have and the work they do off the ball and we performed them particularly the way in which 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 realize, 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 objective that he hasn’t ticked off his listing.
“After all 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 suitable path, so whether or not it occurs now or sooner or later, I do not know, all I can do is play my sport and do every part I can to attempt to please the England supervisor [Gareth Southgate].”
“Enjoying to your nation in one of the best match; I might be mendacity if I stated I have not thought of it, as a result of why would not I? It’s nonetheless a protracted technique to go however that is the dream.”
