Herefordshire’s very own superstar footballer Jarrod Bowen, has been named captain of West Ham United.

The 27-year-old footballer, originally from Leominster, was announced as the team’s captain on August 15.

A statement on the club’s official website said that Bowen’s leadership qualities have been evident since he joined the club in 2020, and that his natural leadership ability and capability in guiding his teammates led him to being identified as “the right man to lead the Hammers”.

The statement added that the Leominster born footballer had been appointed as the team’s captain for the 2024/25 season, following his “commitment and never-say-die attitude”.

In the statement, the former Hereford player said he was “incredibly proud and happy to be West Ham United captain” adding that since joining the club he’d experienced “many great moments” in his four-and-a-half-year tenure and becoming captain of the premier league team meant “the absolute world” to him.“to be named Club captain is a really proud moment and one that I’ll wear with great honour.

“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.

“To get to this moment is another statement of love I have for this Club, along with when I signed my 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. If I can go down as a legend here in years to come, that would be great.”

“As a captain you have to be the best person around the lads, be the voice and almost be a role model in terms of what you expect in standards every day”.

Born in Leominster and attending Earl Mortimer College, the England player began his passion for football at the local Leominster Minors team at just four years old.

Aged 16, Bowen moved on to Hereford United to begin his career, before moving on to Hull City in 2014.

Bowen subsequently signed for West Ham in 2020, and was called up to Gareth Southgate’s England 2024 Euro squad.