Jarrod Bowen sees similarities between himself and the West Ham fans after opening up about how much he cares for the club.
West Ham captain Bowen was involved in a confrontation with the club’s fans last week after a 3-2 loss at Wolves in the Carabao Cup.
Bowen apologised on social media within 45 minutes of the game and then responded on the pitch on Sunday, scoring the opening goal as the Hammers defeated Nottingham Forest.
The forward believes the flare-up with fans is now in the past and the whole incident only underlined how much they both care so much about the club.
“I think with me I’ll never hide or shy away from anything,” Bowen told talkSPORT. “I’ll always face the music, face the critics whenever it comes.
“That’s the responsibility I have as being captain. I think that responsibility comes when I’ve been there for so long as well.
“I care a lot for the club. The fans are similar to me - they’re loyal, they’re passionate, they want the best for their club.
“As a player, you want the best for your team-mates and for the team as well, and the start that we had wasn’t the one that we wanted.
I can relate to the fans because I’ve been here for a long amount of time ... ultimately I want to win, and I want the best for the club
“Sometimes emotions on a pitch and with fans wanting results, players wanting results, it can happen.
“But, like I said, I think for me I can relate to the fans because I’ve been here for a long amount of time.
“I understand it, I get it and ultimately I want to win, and I want the best for the club.
“But we’ve all put that behind us, and we won on Sunday, and you see the celebrations that we had after the game Sunday.
“So, in football, you go through a lot of bad times, but when the good times come as well you enjoy them that little bit more because you've been through those tough times.”
Bowen’s goal on Sunday against Forest was the first as West Ham ran out 3-0 winners at the City Ground.
Crysencio Summerville had a huge impact off the bench, setting up Bowen’s goal and winning a penalty for the second.
The winger has only just returned from injury after missing the final 18 games of last season with a hamstring problem, but Bowen is backing him to have a big impact.
Jarrod Bowen almost lets his frustration get the better of him in an exchange with a supporter. Really unlike Bowen to lose his cool like this. Tomas Soucek, Alphonse Areola and the stewards prevent Bowen from climbing over the advertising boards. #WHUFC pic.twitter.com/DrJkBSJdyS
— Roshane Thomas (@RoshaneSport) August 26, 2025
“I think we’ve recruited really well and obviously we’ve got Crysencio Summerville, whose come back from injury,” he said.
“He almost feels like a new signing because he’s missed, I think, nearly six months of football.
“He came on at the weekend as well and made a really big impact. We’ve got Fuller (Niclas Fullkrug) there as well.
“We’ve got players in positions now where you look at our squad and we’ve got a good amount of squad depth, and we’ve got good players with good Premier League experience as well.
“So, it’s definitely an exciting time for us. Ultimately, the first two games weren’t what we wanted, but the weekend was more what we know of ourselves, so long may that continue.”
West Ham are back in action next week when they host London rivals Tottenham - but before then Bowen is on England duty.
The winger is hoping to feature against Andorra on Saturday, or when the Three Lions travel to Serbia three days later for another World Cup qualifier.
“I think for me at club level, I’ve been at West Ham nearly six years now,” he said. “I feel like consistently I’ve put in performances.
“So, I think for me, it’s just doing that. That’s ultimately the main thing coming into these next two games for me.”
