While Alan Pardew is ‘absolutely delighted’ that the West Ham United icon is still plying his trade at the London Stadium, he cannot help but wonder what more may have been achieved.
Could he have taken a Carlos Tevez-style journey towards global prominence?
The former Hammers favourite would add Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup winners’ medals to his enviable collection during silver-coated spells with Manchester United, Manchester City and Juventus, after all.
In an era where loyalty is a somewhat seldom-seen trait – right, Carlos? – Jarrod Bowen almost feels like West Ham United‘s version of a Francesco Totti or a Matt Le Tissier.
Bowen ‘should be playing Champions League’, to quote former England international Darren Bent, but has never once stepped foot on the biggest stage with his 29th birthday only three months away.
Alan Pardew, who coached the Hammers from 2003 to 2006, can only commend the long-serving skipper for sticking around at a time when Brentford, Brighton, Nottingham Forest and co have leapfrogged his beloved employers.
Pardew also feels that Bowen’s backseat role for the England national team is a classic case of ‘big club favouritism’. He didn’t play a minute in Saturday’s 2-0 victory over Andorra with Tomas Tuchel starting Noni Madueke in his place on the right-hand side.
Alan Pardew rates West Ham United’s Jarrod Bowen higher than Arsenal’s Noni Madueke
Now, the stats tell their own story.
Madueke, who joined Arsenal from London neighbours Chelsea in a deal rising to £52 million, has scored no goals while providing only one assist in his last 14 Premier League matches.
In contrast, Bowen has seven goals and three assists in the same timeframe.
And when talkSPORT host DJ Majestic informed Pardew that he would be starting Bowen over Madueke in Tuchel’s shoes, the 64-year-old coach responded with a simple, ‘Me too’.
“You’ve got [Bukayo] Saka and Bowen, that side is done for me. I can’t really see anyone above them on that side of the pitch,” Pardew says, wishing that the rest of England’s attack had such strength in depth.
“The other side of the pitch is a bit of an issue. is it going to be [Newcastle’s Anthony] Gordon? [Ebere] Eze, maybe? It’s a difficult one.
“This England team doesn’t strike me as a team good enough – forget about the manager – coming to its peak. Harry Kane [will soon be] 33. Do we really see him lifting the trophy with this team? Jude Bellingham, is he going to have the season he had two years ago?
“There are a lot of questions to be asked.”
Pardew urges Thomas Tuchel to hand Bowen an England chance
One thing Pardew is certain about, however, is that Bowen can consider himself hard done by on the international stage.
Despite moving his wedding twice in order to ensure his availability, Thomas Tuchel bizarrely omitted the West Ham talisman from England’s June fixtures. Understandably, the Hammers faithful aired their grievances towards Tuchel from the terraces, and Pardew can certainly share in those frustrations.
“I bet there’s been many players with England who are fed up of turning up and not getting the game time. It’s so frustrating,” Pardew adds. “Bowen is in that category of player who have been on the bench a bit too much.
“He deserves an opportunity, for me. Let’s have a look at him! Let him do what he does for West Ham!
“Of the top five, six clubs in the country, he is very unlucky not to have played for one of them. He’s that good. I’m absolutely delighted that he is a West Ham player! But he is that good that you’d have liked to see him play in cup finals and for league titles.”
Bowen will, of course, be hoping Tuesday night’s clash with Serbia is not another wasted journey.
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