From mascot to matchwinner – the making of a new England hero

Jonathan Rowe, age 9, was living the football-maddest dream when he was leaving Wembley to play alongside England and Brazil.

He was chosen as the mascot for the 2013 visit of the five-time world champions as an AFC Wembley youth player. The Three Lions won 2-1 thanks to Frank Lampard’s second-half goal, which he later watched closely.

After 12 and a half years, Rowe was in demand for England’s matchwinner.

In the European Under-21 Championship final, the Marseille international scored a stunning 3-2 victory over Germany after the substitute substitute substitute had come off the bench.

Although a senior call-up may still be in the offing, the 22-year-old will never forget this experience.

Thomas Tuchel, England’s manager, was watching from the stands, Rowe told Channel 4: “I came into the game with the mindset that I could help the team.

I’m so happy that I did that tonight in front of some significant people.

Rowe “didn’t know how good he was,” according to his coach at AFC Wembley, but everyone else did.

Gary Graham told Sky Sports, “That’s what we liked about him, he was good but he also had that humble side.”

Many of the boys in our team were good, but they lack that modest side, which is why they were unable to advance to the next level.

Rowe joined Norwich City’s academy in 2014, but the transition wasn’t always straightforward. Between helping raise his sister and caring for his ill mother, he commuted three hours per day from London to East Anglia. At this point, he was only eleven.

Then came the injuries that he received as a child, having to deal with Osgood-Schlatter disease, a common cause of knee pain, before making his Canaries first team debut in 2021.

Before establishing himself in their 2023-24 victory over the Championship play-off semi-finals, he spent the next two seasons playing and leaving for the Norwich side. He scored 13 times.

Rowe decided it was time to leave after other clubs started to circle him.

After being denied by several previous bids, Marseille was able to agree to a season-long loan agreement with a purchase requirement of reportedly £17 million.

Along with Brooke Norton Cuffy from Genoa and Charlie Cresswell from Toulouse, Rowe is one of three players in England’s U21 Euros squad that has played for their clubs abroad. Bellingham, who is currently a Dortmund player, was also chosen at the start of the squad.

Other recent success stories of young English players leaving the United Kingdom include Conor Gallagher and Angel Gomes, both of whom have done so at Atletico Madrid.

However, Rowe’s decision to leave has challenges.

Last season, he made just six league starts, with the bench making 22 more.

The entire season has been challenging for me personally, Rowe said. I was a key player in the Norwich team before coming here with the expectation of performing.

It’s been difficult for me, but I’ve embraced it. Everyone in the room could see that I was frequently cut out of the starting XI, which has obviously had an impact on me. However, I kept going, and that’s the key.

Rowe once more stated after the victory over Germany that this year had been “up and down” and acknowledged that he wasn’t even selected for the final England U21 camp.

However, he also stated that “I always support myself,” and Lee Carsley, his international coach, will have had a role in that.

We watch all of the players, regardless of their level of play, as Carsley told BBC Sport’s Nick Mashiter. When the players aren’t playing, I stay in touch with them to stay motivated and keep them going.

“To move abroad requires a different character. When Jonathan had the chance to play in our squad at Marseille, he has done so well. He is deserving of inclusion in our team.

He probably considered himself out of the selection process at some point, but he more than merits to be.

He has had a real impact, and he has been enthralled by the hotel and his training.