West Ham United star ready to live the dream after first England senior call-up

West Ham United star Jarrod Bowen is ready to make up for lost time after he received his first call-up to the England squad.

The former Hull City forward was tipped to be named in Gareth Southgate’s squad for the friendly double header with Ivory Coast and Switzerland in March - but missed out after suffering a fracturing a bone in his foot during the Hammers defeat at Liverpool.

After battling his way back to full fitness and scoring three goals in his last four appearances, Bowen belatedly received the call from the Three Lions boss - and he is now ready to move on from his injury issues by relishing life at international level.

He said: “It everything you dream of growing up.

“When I did the injury, I knew it was a bad one at the time and then it was just about finding out what it was and seeing how long I’d be out for.

“As soon as I knew I knew the time, I kind of accepted it.  I didn’t know I was going to be in the squad, there’s always talk and I might have been close.

“It’s a kick in the teeth because you don’t want to be injured but then it also kicks me on and as soon as I was fit, I wanted to get back to the level I was playing at to be in the next one.

“Thankfully, I was.”

Bowen has come a long way since he came through the ranks at non-league club Hereford United  in the latter stages of the 2013/14 season.

After making a senior debut as a substitute against a Barnet side managed by former Hammers favourite Martin Allen, the young forward went on to make a further seven senior appearances as the Bulls preserved their National League status.

However, United were expelled from non-league’s top tier without weeks due to financial irregularities and were wound up in the high court later that year as debts continued to spiral.

Thankfully, a new look Hereford has now battled its way back from the Midland League and they currently ply their trade alongside the likes of Kidderminster Harriers and Darlington in the National League North.

Bowen opened up on his memories of his formative years in non-league football and revealed the ‘work ethic’ that he believes has taken him to the top level of the game.

“I was 17, playing for Hereford, then there’s Jamie Vardy and Tyrone Mings, those players that didn’t come through an academy setup and they were playing in the top leagues and for their country.

“You don’t really think of it in that sense, you’re just playing your football and if you’ve got the work ethic, it will take you a long way.

“It was difficult, especially with the things that happened before with trials, youth teams being told it was getting scrapped and then to play a few games at the end of the season, even though we weren’t getting paid.

“The group we had then, it was about keeping Hereford in the division, it was the main aim.

“We did that and then the sad news of the club folding, it killed the whole group.

“I got a couple of lucky breaks, people knowing people - but it just goes back to that work ethic and I wanted it more than anyone.”