Jarrod Bowen celebrated the news that he and his girlfriend Dani Dyer are expecting twins by scoring twice for West Ham United in a crucial 2-0 win over relegation rivals Everton at the London Stadium. The 26-year-old from Leominster, Herefordshire, opened the scoring and marked the moment by placing the ball under his shirt before performing a double thumb-suck.
Bowen’s celebration came after Dani Dyer, daughter of EastEnders actor Danny Dyer, revealed the couple’s baby news on Instagram. She posted a photograph of her one-year-old son Santiago holding a black foamboard with a sonogram image and a message reading: “I am going to be a big brother to twins.” In the accompanying caption, she wrote: “We have been keeping a little secret...Our little TWINS. So excited to meet our babies and watch santi be the best brother.. The biggest surprise of our lives but feeling SO blessed..our family is getting a lot bigger and we can’t wait.”
Bowen, who broke into the Hereford United first team at the age of 17 in 2014, joined West Ham from Hull City three years ago. Last season he scored 18 goals in all competitions for the Hammers and earned the first of his four England caps in a 1-0 defeat to Hungary in the Nations League on June 4, 2022.
The forward is not the first player to pay tribute to an impending addition to his family in such a way. Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and Aaron Ramsey have all celebrated goals by mimicking a baby bump, while Brazil’s Bebeto famously performed a ‘baby cradle’ celebration after scoring in the 1994 World Cup.
Fans and celebrities rushed to congratulate the couple. Kate Ferdinand, wife of former Manchester United and England defender Rio Ferdinand, posted: “Ah! How special! So happy for you, congratulations darling.” Love Island’s Molly-Mae Hague wrote: “Omg !!! Amazing. Congratulations,” while fellow former contestant Shaughna Phillips added: “Omg congratulations my love!!!!! So happy for you.” Comedian Katherine Ryan simply said: “Ayayaaaaaye congratulations.”
