Jarrod Bowen will stay at West Ham this season despite their relegation to the Championship, he has confirmed.
West Ham’s 14-year stay in the Premier League came to an end on the final day of last season.
Bowen, their captain and talisman, had been linked with a move away but he has now clarified that he will stay at the London Stadium.
“I did an interview after the [Leeds United game when West Ham were relegated] and said my vision is to get this club back in the Premier League,” he said.
“Sometimes you think it falls on deaf ears and people say ‘he’s just saying that.’ There have been things written and different things said and you have to look at it and bite your tongue sometimes.
“But when I say something, I don’t hide away from it. For me, the main thing is to get this club back into the Premier League and speak to people in the club about what we want to do moving forward as a club for the better of the cub. It was a no-brainer for me to be here and the vision is clear, it’s the Premier League.”
Bowen also said: “I’ve been here six and a half years and transitioned from a boy to a man and I’ve never tried to hide away from anything.
“There are things you can do better, but certainly in my character on the pitch and off the pitch, I never try and hide away from anything and shift the blame. I always try and stand up for them and just kind of live my life as captain of West Ham and also as a fan as well.
“I had no affiliation to the club whatsoever before I joined but I see myself in years to come as a West Ham fan. So, I always think ‘what would they want as a fan if they got the opportunity to play on the pitch?’ For me, I think I’m like that character as well, so I think that’s the way.”
Bowen added: “The message is clear — it’s the Premier League — and everyone in this building has to have that same mindset, that same desire to get this club back into the Premier League.”
He said about what’s needed for West Ham’s upcoming campaign: “Firstly, a buy-in from every single player. The Championship is not an easy division. We’ve seen that in recent years. I was part of the Championship side many years ago now, but it’s not easy. It’s 46 games, tough games, midweek, Saturday, Tuesday, Friday.
“We need the ability to go again and be together as a group, because there’s going to be disappointment at times, there’s going to be a lot of pressure on us to go and win the league straight away. That’s our aim, but I’m telling you now, it’s not going to be as easy as that.
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“It’s about what we create as a group, what environment we want to create, because when things are hard, we have to put our arms around each other, look at our teammates in the eye and know that we’re going to go again in three days’ time after a game. Ultimately, that’s the main thing.
“You can talk about talent and things like that which are also important, but I think the most important thing is a desire, an attitude and a winning mentality. That’s what we have to build, what we have to create, whoever’s in the building. For me, those are the most important things that I think we’re going to need this season because, like I said, I think there’s going to be a different pressure on us now.
“It’s a long, long season, the Championship. You can never get too high, never get too low, because there’s a lot of things that can happen but certainly, in terms of mentality, in terms of attitude, those are the things that we’re going to need. We’re going to need a real tight-knit, a real togetherness, a real understanding of what we want from each other.
“My role is captain here. I know people look to me to set those standards and that’s all I try to do every single day. That’s what’s expected of me and I’ll be the voice and demand those standards and that every single player put in the hard yards and hard work every single day. That’s how it should be.”
