As EURO 2024 draws near, the debate over squad selection intensifies amongst both fans and pundits alike. Players will be stepping up their game as the Premier League season comes to a close, in an effort to catch the eye of Gareth Southgate - no more so than Jarrod Bowen.
Bowen, 27, has impressed since he joined West Ham United in January 2020 and even scored the Hammers' winning goal in their UEFA Europa Conference League win in July of last year.
Arriving from Hull in the Championship, the prolific winger has excelled under David Moyes, grabbing a combined 96 goals and assists in 195 games.
Southgate first noticed Bowen in June of 2022, and has earned six caps for the national team since then. Despite being yet to score for England, it is his contributions to West Ham that warrant a call-up for Southagte's side.
Already becoming West Ham's joint-third top scorer in Premier League history is an incredible feat - especially for someone that joined the club little-over four years ago. Currently, Bowen is tied with Carlton Cole on 41 goals, but you can expect him to move in ahead of that at some time this season.
Tied down to a ludicrous seven-year deal on top of this, the winger is likely to become West Ham's all-time Premier League top scorer. Bowen is also already West Ham's all-time top scorer in European competitions, with ten goals.
But if Southgate chooses on form, then how does this warrant a call-up?
Well, Bowen has been exceptional in the Premier League during the 2023/24 season, racking up an incredible 14 goals already - making him the third-highest goalscoring Englishman in the league this season, ahead of his competition on the wing, Bukayo Saka (13).
His ability to play from the right side, as well as up front when needed, provides Southgate with a great deal of options. We saw how good Bowen can play when England faced off against Belgium on Tuesday - a game in which he saw his first England goal ruled out due to offside.
Despite having his goal ruled out, however, Bowen proved to be one of the best players on the pitch and provided Brentford's Ivan Toney with some fantastic chances in the early stages of the game. There was particularly a good relationship with Real Madrid's Jude Bellingham, both on and off the pitch, too.
Another reason that can be argued as to whether Bowen should be called up is that he brings even more European experience to the squad. Southgate is presented with the option, even off the bench, of someone that scored a winner in a European final.
It just goes to show what kind of wealth that Southgate has at his disposal for this Euros campaign. When you have the potential options of Bukayo Saka, Jarrod Bowen, Cole Palmer and Phil Foden on the right hand side of the pitch, you will undoubtedly have a selection headache.
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Recent performances
Southgate has emphasised in the past that he likes to pick players based on form - if true to his word, then Bowen would be a prime candidate for the England squad in EURO 2024.
On Saturday, West Ham played Newcastle United at St. James’ Park, in what proved to be a thrilling encounter between two European contenders. Despite many saying that the Magpies kept Bowen quiet, he was still able to grab himself a goal and an assist, combining with Mohammed Kudus for both.
Bowen has put these types of performances up for the large majority of the 2023/24 season, only having a dry patch after injury in January. This kind of consistency is exactly what Southgate will need in a tournament as he will need players to step-up when needed.