Jarrod Bowen To Lead West Ham As Captain In Upcoming Premier League Season

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West Ham have announced that Jarrod Bowen will captain the team for the upcoming Premier League season under new manager Julen Lopetegui. Bowen, who joined from Hull in 2020 and has made 202 appearances for the Hammers, takes over from Kurt Zouma, who is negotiating a move to the UAE. The 27-year-old forward scored 16 league goals last season, matching Paulo Di Canio's record from the 1999-2000 campaign.

Bowen's performance last season was notable, with his 22 league goal involvements ranking joint-ninth highest in the division, on par with new Tottenham striker Dominic Solanke. He recently captained West Ham to victory in their final pre-season match against Celta Vigo in the Betway Cup, scoring before a 6-5 penalty shootout win at the London Stadium.

Bowen expressed his pride and happiness at being named captain. "I am incredibly proud and happy to be West Ham United captain," he told West Ham's website. "We've had many great moments here as a club. I've been here four-and-a-half years now, so to be named Club captain is a really proud moment and one that I'll wear with great honour."

Bowen will follow in the footsteps of legendary West Ham captains like Bobby Moore, Billy Bonds, and Mark Noble. He acknowledged this honour and reflected on his journey with the club. "Since I've been here it's just been an upward trajectory in what we've done on the pitch, what I've done off the pitch," he said. "To get to this moment is another statement of love I have for this club."

The England international also mentioned his commitment to West Ham when he signed a new deal last year. "I said then that I want to stay here for the rest of my life and I haven't come off that page," Bowen stated. "If I can go down as a legend here in years to come, that would be great."

Upcoming Season Opener

Bowen will lead West Ham out for their first fixture of the new Premier League season on Saturday when they host Aston Villa at the London Stadium.