When West Ham were relegated from the Premier League after 15 years back in May, it seemed inevitable Jarrod Bowen would not be there to join them as they returned to the Sky Bet Championship. The Hammers captain had done all he could to try and keep them up; he had started every game and played the entirety of all but two, scoring nine goals and providing 11 assists. Speculation about where his future might lie was rife.
After six-and-a-half seasons in the top flight, could he really return to the second tier and pass up the potential opportunity to play European football again? Please use Chrome browser for a more accessible video player That question was answered emphatically on July 17 when Bowen adjusted his current deal to ensure he is committed to the club for 2026/27, though the length of the contract remains the same, expiring in 2030. West Ham lost key players Mateus Fernandes and Crysencio Summerville this summer, but their talisman remains to spearhead the bid for an immediate return to the Premier League.
"I was asked about my future after we were relegated and it was about making the right decision for myself," the 29-year-old tells Sky Sports. "I thought of it as what's going to be the biggest 'what if?' when I retire? There's going to be 'what ifs' whatever you do, but it was going to be that one that would nag away at me for years and years to come.
"I knew I had to give it a go to get this club back into the Premier League. That was the overriding factor. "There were different talks, there were different chances of me leaving, so it wasn't a decision that was made overnight.
It was something I had to sit down and think about for myself because football is so intense and full-on week in, week out. "I'm sure there's lots being said about decisions, but it's about me, it's about what I want, what I think's best for my career." Bowen visited Daniel Kretinsky - West Ham's largest shareholder - in Prague over the summer. "No one needs to sell the club to me.
It was just an honest conversation about what we want to do as a club moving forward," Bowen says. He insists his wife Dani Dyer and father-in-law Danny Dyer - both diehard West Ham fans - did not influence his decision either. "They are never going to be in my ear saying 'I think you should stay or I think you should go'." "I've come on leaps and bounds as a person and a player since I've been here," he adds.
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