The Rise of Jarrod Bowen
LONDON, ENGLAND - England has a long history of producing some of the best attacking players in soccer history. The likes of Alan Shearer, Wayne Rooney, Andy Cole, Michael Owen, and most recently Harry Kane, all made a name for themselves by consistently finding the back of the net. However, now that Kane has left his country’s domestic league, it would appear that there is a notable lack of Englishmen amongst the EPL’s most prolific offensive players. Through six matches there are just two England internationals with four goals or more. Newcastle’s Callum Wilson has helped his team with four goals, but the 31-year-old has only started two matches. The other player on the list is West Ham’s Jarrod Bowen, whose four scores in 2023 are all straight out of the top drawer.
Photo: West Ham United
Although Bowen and West Ham fell to Liverpool 3-1 over the weekend, his absurd diving header made plenty of headlines. While the winger may not be as internationally known as many of the Premier League’s biggest stars, he has been quietly assembling quite the goal scoring record. The attacker’s statistics have certainly been impressive, but the Englishman has managed to do much of his work with a speed and skill unrivaled by many of the league’s most prolific threats.
Bowen is now in his fifth season with the Hammers, but his road to one of London’s biggest clubs took some time. While many of the current Premiership’s top goal scorers honed their craft in other elite European leagues, Bowen developed his game entirely within the English soccer system. The 26-year-old began his career with his childhood side of Hereford United before transferring to Hull City in 2014. The attacker’s first full season with the Tigers ended with relegation from England’s topflight into the EFL Championship. While Bowen found next to no success in seven appearances in the EPL, England’s second division was the perfect setting for the youngster to shine.
Photo: Getty Images
From 2016 to 2020, Bowen appeared in 131 matches for Hull City, racking up 54 goals over his tenure. The Englishman earned Player of the Year twice for the Tigers and was named to the EFL team of the season in 2019. His time in the Championship gained the attention of some of the biggest clubs in the country including Arsenal, Aston Villa, and Leicester.
Since arriving in London, Bowen’s offensive reputation has only grown. Despite scoring just one goal and logging a total of 11 starts in his first season with the Hammers, the winger has now established himself as a consistent goal threat. Bowen’s most productive seasons have coincided with some of West Ham’s best campaigns. The London side finished in sixth place back in 2020-21 and seventh in 2021-22. Over that timespan, Bowen tallied 18 goals and 15 assists. Although West Ham finished outside of the top half last season, the former Hull City man still managed six goals and five assists. Bowen also etched his name into West Ham history back in June, scoring a 90th minute game-winning goal in the UEFA Conference League to earn the club its first major European Trophy ever.
Over the years, Bowen has developed his playstyle into a unique blend of skill and an unrelenting athletic drive. While he’s demonstrated his velvety touch on multiple occasions, the left-footed winger is no stranger to tracking back and putting in the “dirty work.” Capable of playing forward, striker, or his customary right-wing position, Bowen’s on-pitch work ethic is something any supporter would dream of. Hammers Manager David Moyes’ counter-attacking tactics have meshed perfectly with the speed and explosivity that Bowen plays with.
West Ham have started this season positively, sitting in seventh with a record of 3-1-2. Of the Hammers’ 11 goals scored, Bowen has been directly involved in five of them. As one of the club’s main driving forces, the lefty has started and played all 90 minutes in each Premier League contest in 2023. Along with striker Michail Antonio, Bowen has helped to transform West Ham into one of the most capable and efficient teams in the EPL.
