Speaking to the Official Matchday Programme, Jarrod Bowen talks golf, video games, his zombie apocalypse team and why he wears the No20…
What is something about you that people would be surprised to know?
"That’s a real question that puts me on the spot. I’m double-jointed in my thumb, which is a little bit weird. I can constantly make it click out of place, which isn’t normal and I’m sure people wouldn’t know that about me either."
What skill or talent do you wish you had?
"I’ve not long started playing golf, so I wish I had a natural talent for golf. I have not long started though and I have a couple of mates who are really good. Then I come along and I’m hitting it left and right, but definitely not straight.
"I played with Danny Ings, Declan Rice, Aaron Cresswell and Flynn Downes out in Portugal at the end of last season and they were competing, and I was just hitting balls. Then, in Australia, the same group minus Dec played too. They’ve been giving me a few tips along the way."
Is there a significance to your squad number?
"When I was at Hereford United, I wore No32 as my first number. When I first went to Hull City, I was No29 and then went to No20 in the EFL Championship.
"When I first joined West Ham United, I think Gonçalo Cardoso was the No20 and No17 was the only available number so I took it. But I didn’t like having No17. The moment No20 came up, I wanted it and I’ve been No20 ever since.
"I also like the No10, but I don’t know if I’d ever change because of how much I’ve achieved with No20. I can’t see it happening. The brand is JB20 now too, which my mum always calls me on social media!"
What would you be if not a footballer?
"I’d probably be a farmer, actually. My dad used to be a landscaper, so it would be something like that. But I’d also like to be a golfer, now I’m getting into that.
"I also like to play games like Football Manager so maybe I could be a streamer. When I go home in the evening I’ll watch Twitch rather than TV, so I reckon I could have a daily stream and chat with the audience. I always say to the missus that I’d like that, so maybe one day."
Pick three West Ham players to be in a zombie apocalypse survival team.
"We’ll start with Michail Antonio. He is so strong he could just pick them up and chuck them. I’ll put Angelo Ogbonna in there. He’s a little bit weird and I think he’d just interact with them. He’s a legend and I love him, but he’s a bit mental too.
"I’ll put myself in there as well as the sharpshooter. I’ve done a bit of clay pigeon shooting in my time, although I wasn’t very good."
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received?
"I think I’ve spoken a bit about this before, about having no reverse gear. My mum keeps telling me to keep believing and doing everyone proud. That’s always nice to hear as well.
"But the one that I think is really applicable to my journey is the advice about not having a reverse gear. You should never get too downs about the hard times and never get too high on the good times. Enjoy them and accept them when they come, but don’t ever go backwards."
Name a stadium you’d like to play in that you’ve not had a chance to yet.
"I would have to say the Santiago Bernabéu. I think I did one of the tours there years ago. It’s an incredible stadium and I can remember watching Spanish football on ITV4 years ago.
The atmosphere and the white shirts always looked amazing, and I think it would be truly special to play there. Maybe we can do West Ham United v Real Madrid one day."
