West Ham United’s Jarrod Bowen has shared what Gareth Southgate told him right before his cameo display for England last night.
Jarrod Bowen picked up his first minutes of Euro 2024 as England kicked off their tournament with a narrow 1-0 victory over Serbia.
The Hammers captain was introduced into the action for Bukayo Saka with 15 minutes left to play and made an impact on the right-hand side.
Bowen’s tireless work-rate proved vital for England as he consistently tracked back to help his full-back, Kyle Walker.
The West Ham star also provided a real moment of quality in the final third and can count himself unfortunate not to have grabbed an assist.
His delivery was met by Harry Kane’s header, which was tipped onto the crossbar by Predrag Rejkovic.
Jude Bellingham has already lauded Bowen off the back of his cameo display and now, the forward has revealed what he was told by Gareth Southgate just moments before coming off the bench.
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Bowen shares what Southgate told him before latest England display
It was a huge personal landmark for Bowen last night as he earned his first minutes at a major tournament for England.
Speaking to Beanyman Sports after the game, the 27-year-old said Southgate was eager for him to play his own game.
“He just said, just be me,” Bowen said. “Every time I am on the pitch I will always try and be the hardest worker on the pitch and try and help the team.
“There were times we kept the ball and really took the sting out of the game, I think it was needed. And just a bit of fresh legs as well.
“When I’m needed I will always try and make an impact and also just work as hard as I can.”
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Bowen’s stats for Serbia vs England
Despite only featuring for 15 minutes, Bowen racked up some impressive statistics during his brief cameo display.
According to WhoScored, the forward managed one key pass as well as creating a big chance for Kane.
His defensive work also caught the eye as he managed one tackle, an interception and a clearance.
Bowen didn’t have much time to make a huge impact on the game but you’d imagine that his display should earn him more minutes throughout the tournament in Germany.