Former West Ham and England striker Carlton Cole believes Jarrod Bowen has done enough for an international recall despite the Hammers' relegation from the Premier League. Bowen, who narrowly missed out on a place in Thomas Tuchel's World Cup squad over the summer, committed to captaining the London side in the Championship despite top-flight links.
The 29-year-old has been an ever-present in the league this term, scoring four goals and laying on another three to see Nuno Espirito Santo's side sit second in the table going into the international break. He won't take part in the Three Lions' first four UEFA Nations League matches, though, with Liverpool teenager Rio Ngumoha joining World Cup stars Bukayo Saka, Morgan Rogers and Anthony Gordon among the wide forward options.
Championship players in England history
Bowen wouldn't be the first Championship player to earn senior caps this century. David James remained part of the setup while playing second-tier football for West Ham in the 2003/04 season while, more recently, the likes of Jay Bothroyd and Jack Butland were brought in by Fabio Capello and Gareth Southgate respectively.
“I always want [Bowen] in the England team,” Cole, who didn't add to his seven England caps after suffering relegation with West Ham in 2011, exclusively told Mirror Football via LiveScoreBet. "It gives us a little bit of prestige as West Ham and our captain being in the England team, he deserves it."
Cole dismisses Premier League snobbery
The 42-year-old added: “They always talk about all of this 'if you're not playing at the highest level, the elite level as the Premier League, you shouldn't be anywhere near the England team'. I think that's false.
“I think you can still pick players that are playing in the Championship. As long as you know their quality, why not? And you know that Jarrod Bowen is quality and he will raise his game for any kind of event.
“So that's where we need to knock that on the head. If you seem good enough, you should be playing in the England team. It doesn't matter what level you're playing at, you're good enough.”
Injuries and withdrawals
The September and October international breaks have been combined this time, giving players three weeks away from club football. England are set to play twice against a Czechia side with former West Ham right back Vladimir Coufal in their squad, while also taking on Spain and Croatia.
A number of players have pulled out of the squad with injuries or load management concerns, with Declan Rice and Marcus Rashford among the high-profile absentees, allowing Morgan Gibbs-White and James Garner to join the group. While he doesn't want to pass judgement on those individual cases, Cole - who made his own senior debut against Spain in 2009 - was never in the habit of dropping out.
“I had an injury since I joined West Ham, I had a congenital defect in my knee so I was always nursing an injury,” he added. “So if I'm talking about being injured, I have to be really injured to have to pull out of a squad.
“[Either that] or our physios will tell their physios 'He's not going to make it on time so he's going to be injured for a lengthy amount of time', so I wouldn't be selected.
“But if you go there and then you pull out, then I think you've got to be really injured to do that. Sometimes football clubs want you to do that nowadays but I'd grin and bear it because I'm playing for England.
“It's a privilege to do that. I'd never pull out of a squad. I'm not saying it's the right thing to do, I'm not saying it's the wrong thing to do, but for me personally, I'd stay put.”
