Jarrod Bowen hopes a first England goal will help him earn more game time for his country under incoming manager Thomas Tuchel.
The West Ham captain scored the quickest-ever goal by an England substitute on Sunday night, with the ball in play for just three seconds between his second-half introduction and strike in the 5-0 demolition of the Republic of Ireland.
Victory at Wembley sealed top spot in Nations League Group B2 and secured immediate promotion back to the competition’s top tier for England.
The emphatic win was Lee Carsley’s final game as interim manager before he hands over to Tuchel. The German’s contract runs until after the 2026 World Cup.
Speaking after netting his first goal for England, Bowen said: “Every time I get the chance to represent my country is still the biggest honour, whether it be for five minutes or 90 minutes.
“You want to show what you do at club level week in, week out. The same in Greece the other night, when I came on I tried to make an impact. Playing at Wembley is the stuff of dreams, and [it] was a brilliant night for all the lads.
“I know there is a new manager coming in. All I can do now is go back to my club, play football, and then every time I do come here it’s about showing what I can do.”
Bowen, who earned his 14th senior cap for England on Sunday, has started only five times for his country so far. The 27-year-old was asked to describe his emotions after notching for England for the first time.
“A relief,” he replied. “I’ve had one disallowed, one cleared off the line by Ezri [Konsa]. If my career ended tomorrow, I never would have scored for England — and that was one thing that I really wanted to do.
“It’s the biggest honour you can get to play for England every time I get the opportunity, but, being a forward, to score that first goal was always on my mind.
“I wasn’t even meant to be in this squad, and I knew when the manager called me and asked me if I would be willing to come in, it was a no-brainer. It’s an honour to come in. Sometimes you need a little bit of luck coming your way for a way in, and I said to my dad this could be the time when I score my first England goal.”
