Jack Wilshere has told talkSPORT that West Ham United winger Jarrod Bowen is ‘definitely’ good enough to earn his maiden England call-up under boss Gareth Southgate next month.
Bowen is yet to represent his country at any level, but has produced a tremendous Premier League season so far. The 25-year-old has hit eight goals and provided eight assists over his 25 appearances. He has also struck five of his goals over the Hammers’ last five fixtures.
Additionally, only compatriot Trent Alexander-Arnold (10) and Egypt star Mohamed Salah (9) have offered more assists than Bowen. While the Leominster-born star ranks seventh in the top-flights for goals scored, with Raheem Sterling (10) the only England regular ahead.
Southgate is monitoring Bowen’s performances with West Ham in view of a potential call-up for England, per The Athletic. The Three Lions boss has also discussed the forward with Irons gaffer David Moyes ahead of hosting Switzerland and the Ivory Coast in late-March.
Wilshere feels West Ham winger Bowen ‘definitely’ ready for England call-up
Former West Ham midfielder Wilshere is confident Bowen deserves his England debut in one of Southgate’s upcoming squads. The 34-cap Three Lions international also feels the level of competition England face outside of major competitions makes it a no-brainer.
However, Wilshere stopped short of suggesting Bowen is nailed on for a place. The £22m former Hull City forward will also have to prove his worth to Southgate first-hand if Bowen wants to make the Three Lions squad for the World Cup in Qatar at the end of the year.
“If you’re picked on form, then yeah, he should be in it,” Wilshere said. “I’ve said it before, get him in, get him around the squad, get him in training and see how he gets on and see if he can fit the style of play the manager wants and then go from there, give him a chance.
“I think he’s good enough. What you’ve got to remember about England games is unless it’s a Euros, World Cup, maybe now the Nations League, you’re playing against teams that 90% of the time you should beat. So, he’s definitely good enough to play in those games.
“[A World Cup place] will depend on how he gets on in training and if he gets a chance, what he does when he comes on.”
Bowen’s recent goal burst has directly led to West Ham claiming five points in their last five games. He scored both of the Irons’ efforts to beat Norwich last month, their only strike at home to Watford this month and also scored and assisted in last week’s 2-2 Leicester draw.
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