Cardiff rejection and running round potato fields – Bowen in his own words

The biggest names in sport and entertainment join host Kelly Somers for provocative and in-depth discussions about their favorite sport on the new series The Football Interview. We’ll explore mindset and motivation, and talk about defining moments, career highs and personal reflections. The player behind the player is revealed in the football interview.

Jarrod Bowen wrote himself into West Ham folklore when his last-minute goal against Fiorentina won them the Conference League title in June 2023.

The versatile forward made 202 Premier League appearances and signed for the Hammers from Hull City in 2020.

Bowen, 28, made his senior England debut in June 2022 and was part of the squad that reached the final at Euro 2024.

Kelly Somers: What does football mean to you?

Everything, Jarrod Bowen. It’s something that – I’m in a privileged position – I get to do day in, day out, and it’s something I’ve known from such a young age, so football to me is everything.

Kelly, tell us about your earliest playing days.

Jarrod: Probably the first club I played for – Leominster Minors. The large playing field and the location are still present. That would be my first memory. I’ve had friends who have been there as well as my brothers and sisters who have also played there. To see that it’s still going when I go home, it’s nice to be back and be down there and remember when I was that age playing in the fields without a care in the world and a big smile on my face.

Kelly, tell me about how they worked together and how old you were when you first joined.

Jarrod: I think I must have started when I was four or something – really young – but I played there until about 15. At such a young age, I began. I had Hereford as well, which was more of a development school but we had the same players from my hometown team playing there as well because it wasn’t the biggest place of terms of catchment of players. So our local team, which was 20 minutes away, had essentially the same players.

Kelly: It sounds like such a local community and quite tight-knit. You must have felt incredible by the time You eventually played for Hereford. It must have felt like a dream at that point.

Yes, there was me and another player who later played for Hereford as well. All my friends, when I scored my first goal, were behind the goal. We constantly send each other pictures and videos, which are still in use. That moment was just, for me, incredible at the time of being 16/17, playing, then to score at the stadium week in, week out at the end that we used to sit behind the goal, then my friends being there as well… it was incredible.

Kelly, who do you think has had the biggest impact on your career? Is there a coach or a person?

Jarrod: Probably when I was turned down by Cardiff before I started at Hereford because I had been on trial there for about six weeks and realized that “right my local team Hereford has not got anything for me to have that path.” I’ve gone to Cardiff, thought I’ve done really well for six weeks and they’ve said no as well. So I kind of said, “This is it now, then… it won’t be.” But then I think that rejection from Cardiff and then Hereford and then starting back up just made me appreciate it so much more. In the end, I was just enjoying the game because I had no idea what would happen. I didn’t know if it was just going to end and I was playing at Hereford and I thought, ‘ It can’t get much better than this. ‘ That was a good thing. Then a few things happened. I was 17 when I decided to move to Hull. Three and a half hours away from home was absolutely horrendous but those things have all helped me off the pitch and then it helps you on the pitch as well. However, I believe it helps you to mature off the field. So, a few things have happened, but I’d say that Cardiff rejection… Let me be grateful for playing whenever I can because this was the end.

Kelly: You’ve played in some huge matches already in your career. Which game would you replay if you could replay it?

Jarrod: I think one that sticks with me the most was probably the Europa Conference League final. I’ve never participated in finals of any kind before. Coming out, getting to the stadium a couple of hours before, going out to look at the pitch as you do, and it was packed. The feeling of the final whistle blowing and you’re on the pitch… My dad and I watched a replay of the entire game on YouTube, and I think the camera went to me and I had the biggest smile on my face as the game came to an end, and it’s what it meant for the fans as well. I think that was such a great day.

Kelly, did you mention that you and your dad recently watched the entire game?

Jarrod: Yeah.

Kelly, that demonstrates its significance.

Jarrod: Yeah, he always watches it. He has a rowing machine and will send me a picture of an entire game that spanned an hour and 29 minutes. I’ve never watched it before. You already knew how things would turn out, but I was still watching a little anxious and wondering, “I know how the game turns, why am I so anxious?” I can’t really remember the game fully. It’s been two years, so it was strange to watch it in a different way from when it was first broadcast.

Kelly: Let’s talk a bit more about Jarrod Bowen the person. Let’s start with family and what it was like growing up in the Bowen household because you’ve already mentioned your dad a few times. Take me into a typical day.

Jarrod: Most people have a similar upbringing to most people. I have a younger brother and sister, so I was the eldest child. They’ve always said that because I was the first born, I was always their favorite child. But I loved playing football. a very active family. My dad played rugby and football as well. Our mother was employed by the school where we both grew up. She still works there and that was kind of our life really.

Kelly, you must be the school’s poster boy. You must be like a local hero.

Jarrod: My mother, as I previously mentioned, brings this entire box of things when she comes down. She says “someone just asked me if..”. and she is the kindest person in the world, so she always says “no” to anyone. So, she sends me a box of stuff. It might be for a raffle or something like that. Because I’ve grown up there and know pretty much everyone there, and I’ve attended that school, it means a lot to me that people want to put me on the walls and get my signature.

Kelly: I want to know a bit more about your dad. He used to play semi-professional football and was an ex-football player. Is that correct?

Jarrod: For a while he played for the Conference-level teams Forest Green, Worcester, and Hereford.

Kelly: Is it correct that you still follow his pre-season training routine that he does with you?

Jarrod: Yeah, I guess I had a five or six-week break because this summer was the first time I didn’t get called up for England. I went home for three weeks I think it was, and we were training on the famous potato fields every single day, so I had a full pre-season with him. My brother and my sister both did it this season, and Dani [Jarrod’s wife] even came out once and did it.

Kelly: Was she doing it as well?

Jarrod: Yeah, you would have thought, “What the hell is happening with this group of people?” if you had looked at it. My dad was the kind of instructor, so to speak. We called it “his boot camp,” but it was just us and we were running around this potato field, and I had this idea in mind: “If anyone sees us, they’re going to think what is this.” What are this group of four people doing? ‘ But we did it, and I’ve done it all my career, so we did it.

Kelly: Does he come to West Ham games? He travels, right?

Jarrod: As much as he can, yeah.

Kelly: No, that’s far.

Jarrod: Yeah, it’s far, but he tries to come to as many games. He’s already considering the Sunderland game. He’s going to drive his camper van.

Kelly, I appreciate you bringing up the camper van because you and I wanted to talk about that. That camper van went to the Euros, didn’t it?

Jarrod: We had good weather for it, which was always a worry. You look forward to the day so much that it passes for the day after it has ended. But, really nice day.

Kelly, you now have twin girls with you. Is it right that you had those girls just a couple of weeks after winning the trophy?

Before May 22nd, Jarrod. It changes your life. People always ask you what it’s like, but until you have your own experience, it’s difficult to describe it. But, yeah, love them to pieces.

Kelly, how does a typical day of absence look to you? I imagine if I asked you this a couple of years ago, it’d be quite different to now.

Carnage, Jarrod. There’s no lie-ins. I used to adore getting up at 10 o’clock and dozing off in the morning to watch what the day would bring, but now that they’re three, Dani is running around, like sprinting around the house. She’s sweating every morning and I just kind of come on down and think I’m quite a relaxed person, and Dani’s sprinting around the house and then there’s me asking if I can do anything. You have to take them out on a day off because you can’t stay with them all day because it will make you crazy, so try to make sure you do it as much as you can. We’ll probably go out for the day somewhere, more for our mental health as well, because if you stay inside with them, it’s just carnage. We’ll probably visit a park or something. Probably cut their knees to pieces, probably hurt themselves somehow… that’ll probably now be a typical day off.

Kelly, is that your football escape?

Jarrod: When I’m at home, I want to spend as much time with them as possible and then when I’m coming into football, I know its training for a few hours and hard work, so I think it’s good to have that split, that balance. When I’m at home, it’s all about Dani and the kids because I can’t change what happened. When I’m at home, it’s all about Dani and everyone. We’ve lost the game and now it’s family time.

Kelly, what best describes you, Kelly?

Jarrod: Laid-back.

Kelly, you seem to have lived that way for a long time.

Jarrod: Yeah, I’ve always been quite, what’s the saying when they go ‘ If you were any more laid-back you’d be horizontal ‘ or something? My friends and family are telling me that.

Kelly: Have you always been like that?

Jarrod: Always, yes.

Kelly: Does that come from your family?

Jarrod: I’m not sure, really. I think my dad’s quite intense. He drives a camper van everywhere, everywhere, and there, because he has one.

Kelly: I’ve got that feeling from this interview, if I’m honest.

Jarrod: I probably get it from my mother because she is very laid-back.

Kelly: What are you most proud of?

Jarrod: Probably my family in terms of my parents, my mother, my dad, and my entire family. I’m really close with my aunties, uncles, nans, grandads, trying to spend as much time together as possible, so I’d say that’s one thing I’m really proud of, that I have a loving family.

Kelly, let me know one thing that might surprise you.

Jarrod: I’m double-jointed in my thumb. Additionally, we actually shared information with one another about our growing ups when we were away, sort of like a team-building exercise. I said to people that I played a lot of rugby when I was younger and I enjoyed playing rugby more than football, and they were all shocked to pieces.

Kelly, what would you like to accomplish with your career if you could only accomplish one thing?