West Ham completed the 2019/20 season 5 issues shy of relegation, having misplaced part of its fits all the way through that marketing campaign.
“I feel it is other folks seeing West Ham for what West Ham are about now. Since I have been right here, we have been staying up from relegation which used to be loopy to assume,” Bowen tells CNN Game’s Darren Lewis.
“Rapid ahead two and a part years and we completed within the best six and (are) on the right track to complete within the best six once more, possibly even get to a Europa League ultimate,” he provides. “Other folks must consider West Ham another way now.
“Simply is going to turn what occurs when a supervisor [David Moyes] is available in and will get a bunch of avid gamers which can be 100% dedicated and … need to paintings for each and every different.”
Europa League dream
West Ham’s Europa League adventure to the final 4 has been not anything wanting exceptional.
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 all the way through the second one part within the first leg.
“To have that chance towards Lyon and to overcome them and undergo used to be almost definitely the most productive feeling ever,” Bowen says.
It kind of feels as despite the fact that the celebs have aligned for the draw towards Eintracht Frankfurt, for the reason that the former time each golf equipment met used to be West Ham’s final Eu semifinal in 1976.
Like West Ham, Eintracht Frankfurt is a staff to be reckoned with, having prior to now crushed favorites Barcelona on the Camp Nou stadium within the quarterfinals.
“They are to be feared however I feel we’re as smartly,” Bowen says of the draw. “You do not need to get too forward of your self … you are two video games clear of a last. It is an exhilarating time, I for one am humming,” he provides. “It is a particular sport bobbing up.”
West Ham hasn’t ever performed within the Champions League, and their final Eu win used to be after they lifted the Intertoto Cup in 1999.
Bowen says his staff may not prevent chasing a Champions League qualification. With 4 video games nonetheless to play, West Ham is 8 issues in the back of fourth-place Arsenal.
“Other folks writing us off is beautiful for me since you like proving other folks fallacious at all times,” Bowen says. “As a membership we’re going to at all times battle and we need to be in that fourth spot, and there is no reason we will’t be.”
‘Laborious paintings does beat ability’
As a young person, Bowen used to be informed he wasn’t just right sufficient to play skilled soccer.
“To be fair, I feel what I would been via going via trials and now not figuring out the place I used to be going to be, it used to be only a case of taking part in my soccer and notice what occurs,” says Bowen. “I had a slice of good fortune, other folks know other folks within the sport.”
He sooner or later broke into the primary staff at non-league facet Hereford United when he used to be 17, however his ambitions took any other knock when his house membership financially folded in 2014.
When requested how he driven via he says, “I feel only for the affection of the sport and love of … enjoying for my boyhood membership.”
“I had no expenses or not anything to pay out for, however you recognize, you take a look at probably the most avid gamers who have been enjoying … that had mortgages and children to pay for. It will have to had been laborious for them,” he provides. “I had no concern, no accountability.”
On the age of 17 Bowen signed with Hull Town, the place he performed for the Beneath-18 staff for a couple of years.
“My circle of relatives did not need me to transport up to now away at 17, however transferring that a ways at one of these younger age, I realized such a lot of lifestyles studies and matured off the pitch, and I feel that adulthood went onto the pitch as smartly and no impediment gave the impression too prime,” Bowen informed West Ham’s site.
“Having a look again on it now, I am satisfied I went additional clear of house.”
He used to be itching to play for Hull Town’s first staff, however noticed his hopes challenged by way of extra skilled forwards, together with Adama Diomande and Nikica Jelavic.
Bowen in spite of everything made his Premier League debut for Hull in August 2016, even though the membership used to be then relegated in Might 2017.
Bowen spent a couple of extra years at Hull sprucing his sport, earlier than signing with West Ham 3 years later.
Reflecting on his adventure he tells CNN, “I feel laborious paintings does beat ability.”
“It is about taking your probability and I feel you’ll get the entire good fortune on this planet, however I feel if you are now not in a position to be in a position on the time that you want to be, then you will not do smartly.
“I feel (it) simply displays (the) psychological power I have were given and the resilience I have were given,” he says. “Regardless of how again and again one thing is going fallacious, there may be at all times going to be mild on the finish of the tunnel.
“I glance again on that now and assume thank God I saved enjoying and put my thoughts to it and I had my circle of relatives round me to fortify me, to get me to the place I’m now.”
Like father like son
The West Ham ahead attributes a lot of his good fortune to his father, Sam Bowen.
A retired non-league Welsh footballer, Sam used to be as soon as at the verge of signing with West Ham on the behest of then-manager Harry Redknapp, consistent with the membership’s site.
He loved a profession as a striker for golf equipment together with Worcester Town, Woodland Inexperienced Rovers and Leominster The city.
“I imply, he is completed the entirety,” Bowen says of his father. “He is noticed the highs, the lows of my profession, so you recognize, he is the entirety to me and he is been there each step of the way in which for me.
“Up to he praises me, he is additionally my primary critic as smartly. You already know after I do not play smartly or one thing, he’d be the primary one to inform me. I would choose that than him simply telling me how just right 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 workout indicative of his father’s distinctive coaching taste.
“It is a bit other to what you are almost definitely used to seeing pre-season … however that is my dad, he is oldschool. He is other, he does not need me to be the similar as everybody else.”
Bowen explains his father’s mantra is to have “a opposite tools.”
“Regardless of how again and again you get knocked down, it is about pushing forwards,” provides Bowen.
“I feel that is labored so much for my thoughts as smartly; I am resilient, I am by no means crushed, I feel it is simply laborious paintings and I feel that is why the paintings I put at the pitch will get spotted by way of the fanatics … and I feel that is come from a tender age.”
Underdog grew to become emerging superstar
As he is risen during the ranks of English soccer Bowen has been likened to Premier League strikers reminiscent of Jamie Vardy and Harry Kane, either one of whom have loved later good fortune after their days as underdogs within the early levels in their careers.
“I feel the ability they have got were given is unquestionable, they are improbable two strikers however I feel the laborious paintings they have got were given and the nature they have got were given inside of themselves pushes them much more,” Bowen says.
“I feel that the objectives he rankings, you recognize, when he will get an opportunity, 9 occasions out of 10 it is behind the web, the paintings he does off the ball as smartly,” says Bowen.
“After we performed towards them, I wasn’t staring at him when I used to be enjoying as a result of that will be fallacious to mention, however I realized the paintings he does off the ball.”
Salah has scored 30 objectives for Liverpool around the Premier League and the Champions League this season, in addition to making 13 assists.
“I feel consistency is a large phrase. I feel particularly in (an) attacking place, other folks be expecting you to provide objectives or arrange objectives on your teammates and that includes being an attacker, so certainly scoring objectives is helping with the boldness,” Bowen says of Salah. “I feel it simply comes from requirements inside of your self that you simply set.”
West Ham received their house Premier League fit towards Liverpool 3-2 this season, having misplaced the sport at Anfield 1-0.
“I feel you take a look at each entrance 3 that Liverpool have and the paintings they do off the ball and we performed them particularly the way in which they pressed from the entrance as smartly, their entrance 3 is not only a case of they do not shield; they only assault. They do assault and shield and you recognize, they get their rewards from it.”
England calling?
From scoring 9 objectives within the Premier League this season, to tallying 3 winners for West Ham’s Europa League marketing campaign, Bowen is having a season to keep in mind.
“The dream is a fact now. Rising up, it used to be ‘I sought after to be a footballer’, it is soccer or not anything actually,” Bowen says. “It is one hell of a adventure and it is long gone so fast.
“I have blinked and it is fast-forwarded eigh years, however (I am) loving each minute of it.”
However there may be one objective that he hasn’t ticked off his record.
“After all enjoying for England is a goal of mine evidently, I would be mendacity if I stated it wasn’t,” Bowen tells CNN. “I feel I am at the proper trail, so whether or not it occurs now or at some point, I have no idea, all I will do is play my sport and do the entirety I will to check out to thrill the England supervisor [Gareth Southgate].”
“Taking part in on your nation in the most productive match; I would be mendacity if I stated I have never considered it, as a result of why would not I? It’s nonetheless a protracted technique to move however that is the dream.”
