Jarrod Bowen has vocally supported Harry Kane, amidst murmurs about his subdued involvement in England’s initial matches at Euro 2024.
The squad, despite topping Group C with four points after two games, hasn’t escaped criticism for their lukewarm performances in Germany.
Following a tepid 1-0 victory against Serbia, they managed a stalemate with Denmark. Scotland alone boasts a poorer xG of 0.78 compared to England’s 1.85 in the first two bouts.
In an encounter with the Danes, a mere 17 percent of England’s plays in open field breached the final third, highlighting their struggle to advance the ball. They only took 17 shots, landing seven on target.
Although Kane scored during this match, his earlier substitution at the 70th minute and mere 22 touches—two less than against Serbia—marked a noticeable decline from his prolific 44-goal debut season at Bayern Munich.
Bowen, however, stands by Kane, who joins Michael Owen and Wayne Rooney as the third Englishman to net goals in four different major international tournaments.
“Harry’s prowess and scoring record are top shelf. He narrowly missed one against Serbia due to a stellar save and found the net against Denmark,” commented the West Ham winger.
“His tenure as captain and his consistent performance both on and off the field have been nothing short of superb. His leadership and character are commendable, and I can’t extol his virtues enough.”
“There’s no real worry about his recent lack of touches. He grabbed a goal recently, after all. He could have had two by now,” Bowen added.
“Being a forward, sometimes you won’t touch the ball as much as you’d like. That’s just the striker’s lot—then you score. Harry’s eager to keep that goal-scoring streak going this tournament. He’s big on personal achievements,” he explained.
“Facing off against two, sometimes three centre-halves depending on the formation can be tough. But when the chance arises, we’re confident in our ability to score, as he has proven time and again,” Bowen concluded.
