Bowen Scores First England Goal, Recalling Pre-Match Prediction to Father

Jarrod Bowen had conveyed to his father that he felt it “could be my time to score for England” before he netted his inaugural goal for the Three Lions on Sunday. The West Ham forward contributed England’s fourth goal in their commanding 5-0 triumph over the Republic of Ireland, a result that secured their advancement from their Nations League group. Bowen’s goal occurred with his very first touch of the ball, mere seconds after he was introduced into the game as a substitute. The 27-year-old player was integrated into the squad at a late stage, having received a call-up following a series of withdrawals. “It is an honour to play for England every time I get the opportunity so to score that first goal was always on my mind,” Bowen stated after the match. He elaborated, “I wasn’t meant to be in the squad, I knew when the manager called me and asked me if I was willing to come in it was a no-brainer. It’s an honour to come in.” Bowen further recalled, “I said to my dad this could be my time. You need a little bit of luck and I got that.” He concluded, “For me it was a different situation to one that I have been in before but I thought this could be an opportunity for me to score and it paid off.”