A long list of former England stars have told talkSPORT there’s no doubt at all that West Ham’s Jarrod Bowen should be in Gareth Southgate’s next squad.
The Three Lions boss has even been urged to ditch two Manchester United players, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho, to make way for Bowen when the national team takes to the field again in March.
Bowen has been a key figure in West Ham’s brilliant season under David Moyes, and is leading the way with eight goals and eight assists in all competitions.
His form has been so good that Moyes has been able to utilise him to challenge for, and occupy, a place in the Premier League’s top four.
The Hammers also topped their Europa League group and breezed into the knockout rounds, while they’re still in the FA Cup, and knocked both Manchester United and Man City sides out of the League Cup.
Bowen’s role in West Ham’s success has unsurprisingly led to calls for him to be included in the England squad, and former young Hammer Joe Cole agrees.
“I love him, I watched him play at Hull a few years ago when he was in the Championship and your eyes are drawn to him because he’s all action,” Cole told the talkSPORT Breakfast.
“He reminds me a little bit of Trev [talkSPORT host and ex-England star Trevor Sinclair] in that he can play wide, then he can come in and nick a goal, he’s always a threat.
“He’s got great technical ability, I think he’s different class, and when you see the way he’s improving, anything can happen, I think he well deserves an England call up.”
Bowen was a goal scoring machine in the Championship with Hull City before moving to the London Stadium in 2020, and he’s now emerged as one of the league’s most impressive forwards.
Another former West Ham frontman who later became a star for England, Teddy Sheringham, is similarly impressed by Bowen and told talkSPORT which of his assets make him so special.
“Without a doubt [he deserves a call up] I think he’s performing unbelievably,” Sheringham said.
“I think Jarrod Bowen has stepped up to the plate, looks fantastic, looks very dynamic, full of confidence, scores goals, makes goals, good pace about him, good energy, good awareness.
“I really like him, he’s got to be considered, when you look at the likes of [Marcus] Rashford and [Jadon] Sancho at the moment, why couldn’t he get in the England team?”
talkSPORT host Jack Wilshere left West Ham just as Bowen arrived, but as a former England international himself, Wilshere believes Southgate needs to test him in the squad.
“I think he deserves a chance,” Wilshere said.
“You hear the manager speaking about team spirit and togetherness in the squad so first of all I’d put him in the squad, see how he gets on with the boys in training, and if he does well give him a chance on the pitch, he deserves it.”
Euro 2020 finalists England go into the 2022 Qatar World Cup as one of the competition’s favourites with Southgate managing to harness the ability of a new generation of talent.
Competition for places is as fierce as it ever has been, but former striker Darren Bent believes a pair of Southgate’s Manchester United regulars need to quickly make way.
He said: “I would [call up Bowen].
“You look who he’s up against, you have the likes of [Phil] Foden, [Jack] Grealish, [Raheem] Sterling, [Mason] Mount, [Bukayo] Saka, [Emile] Smith Rowe, they’re all on form.
“Rashford and Sancho should be nowhere near it.
“Gareth talks about loyalty and players he can trust, but Jarrod Bowen, his form has been absolutely fantastic.
“And to be fair to him, he shouldn’t have to continue this form all the way up until the weekend he gets selected, his form is very very good, I think Gareth needs to put aside the whole trust thing.”
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