I couldn’t help but reflect on West Ham captain Jarrod Bowen’s late call-up to the England squad and how his brilliant attitude was rewarded with his first international goal.
Bowen wasn’t initially included in manager Lee Carsley’s plans for the Nations League doubleheader against Greece and Ireland. However, he accepted his role as understudy with good grace and the kind of attitude that has typified his career.
In stark contrast, several other players have refused to embrace the West Ham winger’s humility, surrendering opportunities to play the backup role for the Three Lions.
The first name that springs to mind is the notorious troll of West Ham fans, Chris Sutton. A hugely talented footballer, Sutton spent much of his club career playing understudy to others. Unfortunately, he didn’t take kindly to being a reserve for England and famously refused to play for the B-team when selected by then-manager Glenn Hoddle. Sutton recalled his conversation with Hoddle:
“I phoned him up and said I wasn’t going to play for the B team, and he said I’d never play for England again.”
Another notable example is David Bentley, who was once considered a rising star. In May 2007, Bentley earned the Man of the Match award for England’s B-team against Albania and was subsequently named in the senior squad for two games the following month, though he didn’t make it off the bench. However, when former Hammer Stuart Pearce called him up for the Under-21 European Championships in June, Bentley refused the place.
Bentley and Sutton are not alone in spurning opportunities to play for England. Tom Ince, Micah Richards, Danny Drinkwater, and, more recently, Ben White have all decided they had better things to do.
But Bowen has shown that a serving of humble pie and a bit of patience can eventually make dreams come true. Sometimes, taking the long road pays off in ways others might never understand.
