West Ham: Nuno reveals Jarrod Bowen reaction to England World Cup snub before relegation decider | OneFootball

Hammers captain suffers pain of Three Lions squad omission before final-day battle with Tottenham to avoid drop

Nuno Espirito Santo has called upon West Ham talisman Jarrod Bowen to turn his World Cup pain into fuel for the club’s survival bid.

England boss Thomas Tuchel’s 26-man squad for this summer’s tournament omitted Bowen, who has 22 caps for the Three Lions.

The heartbreak of missing out on the World Cup comes just two days before a huge game in West Ham’s history, with the Irons requiring a win against Leeds on the final day and for rivals Tottenham to lose at home to Everton in order to avoid relegation from the Premier League.

Nuno admitted that Bowen was feeling low after the disappointment, but backed his captain to be fully focused on West Ham’s fight to beat the drop.

Speaking ahead of the Leeds clash, Nuno said: "He was sad. It's something that Jarrod really, really wanted to achieve in his personal career. Being a World Cup representative is one of the most important things.

"He's sad, but he will immediately turn the page and focus on Sunday."

While West Ham have struggled all season, Bowen has failed to score in the Premier League since February.

Regular: Jarrod Bowen was involved throughout England’s World Cup qualifying campaign

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He was handed his first taste of tournament football as a substitute against Serbia at Euro 2024, two years after being dropped for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

When Bowen missed out on that World Cup, hosted midway through the 2022/23 campaign, then-boss David Moyes claimed that the omission impacted Bowen’s form for West Ham.

"We are very proud to have Jarrod as skipper," continued Nuno. "Sometimes things don't go well but the work rate and the commitment of Jarrod and the way he leads by example on his team-mates makes us very, very proud of him as a club captain.

"The pressure? No, he embraced it. It's not the reason. He embraced it and he's a leader.

"I think it's not the best to channel any frustration. Jarrod doesn't have to prove anything to anybody.

"He just has to be himself, the best of him and the best of all the players. That's what we need on Sunday."

While relying on former boss Moyes and his Everton side to do West Ham a favour, the Irons themselves need three points against Leeds to have any real hope of staying up.

Nuno called upon the Hammers faithful to get behind his team as they aim to avoid a first season in the Championship since 2012.

He said: "We represent a huge club, a massive club, with an enormous fanbase that we have to respect and try to make them proud of us.

"They'll be there from the first minute, I can assure you. Then it's up to us to deliver so the support continues."