Jarrod Bowen’s hopes of scoring his first goal for England were dashed when his shot towards goal was inadvertently blocked on the line by Ezri Konsa during the Three Lions’ friendly against Bosnia at St James’ Park. Bowen, who earned his eighth cap in the match, was given a rare start by manager Gareth Southgate as he vied to secure a place in the final 26-man squad for Euro 2024.
In the dying minutes of normal time, James Maddison set Bowen up in the box, giving him a golden opportunity to score. However, Konsa unintentionally got in the way and blocked Bowen’s shot. Although Harry Kane managed to convert the rebound, Bowen couldn’t hide his disappointment at being denied what could have been his first international goal.
Despite showing resilience during a post-match interview with Channel 4, fans on social media expressed their disappointment on behalf of Bowen. One fan even went so far as to say they hoped Bowen would take a pair of scissors to Konsa’s passport as a form of revenge. The general sentiment among fans was that Konsa had hindered Bowen throughout the game and ultimately cost him a goal.
Bowen has had his fair share of setbacks recently, having missed out on the 2022 World Cup after being cut from the provisional squad. When asked by Sky Sports if he felt he had become a better player and a stronger person as a result of that experience, Bowen admitted that he wasn’t sure if others would agree but highlighted the importance of maturity and confidence gained from playing games.
Looking ahead, England is set to face Iceland on Friday, and Southgate will have to make some tough decisions as he plans to cut seven players from his provisional 33-man squad on Saturday. Bowen will be hoping to continue impressing Southgate and secure his place in the squad for future international competitions.