West Ham forward Jarrod Bowen has been using Manchester City star Phil Foden as a benchmark for how to break into the England squad.
Bowen was in fine form for the Hammers this season, finishing the campaign with 18 goals to his name in all competitions.
The 25-year-old has been rewarded with his maiden England call-up and he has revealed he has been using Foden’s goals and assists as a target to aim for. Bowen used the City star as a benchmark as the pair are both left footed and like to operate out wide in a front-three.
“I think one player I look at in terms of similar to me, similarly left footed, is Foden,” said Bowen.
“The way he moves around the pitch and the way he is on the ball, he is a special, special talent.
“To even be in the same conversation and position with him is special, but yeah, he’s one of the players in there that I look at.
“It’s been mad - the level and standard of players. You play against them week in, week out, but to actually play against them and see them in the flesh and get so close, the standard is really high.”
Bowen has had to fight his way to the top, starting out in non-league football and being rejected by several sides when going for trials.
The forward, however, believes that has helped him on his journey and made him more resilient for the challenges ahead.
“It was definitely difficult, especially the things that happened before, with trials and youth teams getting scraped and then to to be playing a few games at the end of the season,” Bowen said.
“Even though you know we weren’t getting paid, the group we had then it was about keeping Hereford in the division,. which was the main aim, and we did that.
“Then the sad news of the club folding just killed the whole group, but I got a couple of lucky breaks so to speak, in terms of people knowing and people but I think it just goes back to that work ethic and I want it more than anyone.”
