West Ham boss Nuno Espirito Santo has spoken after captain Jarrod Bowen missed out on a place in England’s World Cup squad
Nuno Espirito Santo has called on Jarrod Bowen to channel the heartbreak of his World Cup snub into the determination needed to keep West Ham in the Premier League. Hammers captain Bowen failed to make the cut for Thomas Tuchel’s 26-man England squad, despite receiving regular call-ups from the German manager in previous international windows and playing in March’s friendlies against Uruguay and Japan.
The 29 year old must now set his sights on avoiding a second devastating blow at club level. West Ham need to beat Leeds and rely on Everton doing them a favour at Tottenham if they want to stave off relegation.
“He was sad,” Hammers boss Nuno said when asked about Bowen. “It’s something that Jarrod really, really wanted to achieve in his personal career.
“Being a World Cup representative is one of the most important things. He’s sad, but he will immediately turn the page and focus on Sunday.”
Bowen’s goals have dried up, with the winger failing to net in the Premier League since February. Some have suggested the burden of a survival battle is taking its toll but the West Ham boss spoke glowingly of the former Hull star.
“We are very proud to have Jarrod as skipper,” Nuno added. “Sometimes things don’t go well but the work rate and the commitment of Jarrod and the way he leads by example on his team-mates makes us very, very proud of him as a club captain.
“The pressure? No, he embraced it. It’s not the reason. He embraced it and he’s a leader.
“I think it’s not the best to channel any frustration. Jarrod doesn’t have to prove nothing to anybody.
“He just has to be himself, the best of him and the best of all the players. That’s what we need on Sunday.”
Nuno also recognised Sunday’s fixture represents the most significant match of his career after more than a decade in management. “We represent a huge club, a massive club, with an enormous fanbase that we have to respect and try to make them proud of us,” he said.
“They’ll be there from the first minute, I can assure you. Then it’s up to us to deliver so the support continues.”
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