Tottenham target Jarrod Bowen aiming for Prem after nine goals in eight to inspire Hull promotion bid
Striker — whose dad is an Aston Villa fan — takes on the Villans with speculation mounting about his future
JARROD BOWEN has come a long way since scoring his first goal in League football at Villa Park last season.
The Hull striker — whose dad is an Aston Villa fan — returns there today with speculation mounting that Tottenham are set to make a bid.
And you can understand Mauricio Pochettino’s interest — given Bowen’s nine goals in the last eight games have helped fire the Tigers into the promotion picture.
Bowen, 22, said: “It’s surreal when you see your name linked with clubs like Tottenham in the transfer window. I saw that first on TV.
“It means I’ve been doing something well. But my loyalties are to this club.”
Hull maintain that they will not be selling any of their star assets this month.
But there is no doubting Bowen’s ambition to play at the top level — whether it be with Hull or elsewhere.
He said: “I’d like to look back at my career and want to have been playing at the highest level week in, week out.
“Everybody’s dream is to play in the Premier League — and if I do that for a good ten years, I’ll look back and say, ‘I did all I could’.
“I need to work hard to get there. We want to get this team to the Premier League.”
Bowen actually made his first Prem start against Spurs. There were mixed emotions as the Tigers were smashed 7-1 at home in May 2017 with Harry Kane grabbing a hat-trick.
If Bowen makes the move to North London, he will be hooking up with Kane, one of the strikers he most admires.
The Hull ace said: “You earn more respect from people when you conduct yourself in the way he does. He’s still humble, down to earth.
“If you look at Kane, he’s played right at the top but he goes about his life normally.
“Some people let it go to their heads but it is my firm belief that you must work on things you do well to make them better. This improves you as a footballer and a person.”
Bowen’s grounded attitude is a result of knowing how tough it is at the game’s bottom end.
The striker came through the ranks at Hereford and was there when they went out of business in 2014.
It was heart-breaking for Bowen, who used to watch the Bulls from the terraces.
He said: “I have such fond memories of going to Edgar Street. I loved the tradition of a real bull being walked around the pitch as the mascot.
“I remember scoring my first goal in professional football at Edgar Street against Alfreton in the Conference. It was in front of all my friends who I used to watch Hereford with. It felt like the best thing in the world.
“We stayed up on the last day of the season but then got expelled by the Conference. It was devastating news.
“We had already not been paid for six months and there were players and staff there who had wives, kids, mortgages to worry about. It’s the harsh reality of non-league.”
Bowen moved to Hull and started to break into the first team during the 2016-17 season, with the highlight being a 2-1 win over Manchester United in the League Cup.
He said: “It was surreal. I was playing against Paul Pogba, Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Marcus Rashford... it was like I was in a computer game. I was more used to taking them on in Fifa, not on the field.”
Bowen has been on fire as the Tigers have remained unbeaten in the league since November 24, when they were second from bottom.
They go to Villa just four points behind the play-off spots.
Bowen said: “It was a great feeling scoring my first goal for Hull at Villa last season at the end where my family were sitting. It was a dream.”
It is unlikely to be the last of his to come true.
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