Gareth Southgate has named his England squad for the upcoming international break, with the first game being a friendly this evening against Australia at Wembley. The star-studded squad is full of international superstars like Harry Kane and Jude Bellingham but let’s take a look at a few players that have risen from Gloucestershire and the surrounding areas.
Both Jarrod Bowen and Ollie Watkins have been recalled to the national team for the first time since last year. The pair have been in fine form for their respective clubs so far this season, with Bowen bagging five goals so far for West Ham who have had an exceptional start to the season.
However, Bowen hasn’t always been at West Ham. The 26-year-old was born and grew up in Herefordshire before starting his footballing career at Hereford United. Bowen began his career as a scholar before being handed his first team debut in March of 2014 after impressing in the youth team that season.
When Hereford United were expelled from the Conference League in 2014, the Shropshire man signed for then Premier League side Hull City, where he spent six years before joining the Hammers in 2020. Bowen made his England debut in June 2022 where he played the full 90 minutes in a 1-0 loss to Hungary.
Another man that plays his club football in claret and blue is Ollie Watkins who has had a great start to the Premier League season with Aston Villa who sit fifth in the table. Born in Torquay and starting his football career at Exeter City, Watkins made a loan move to local side Weston-super-Mare during the 2014/15 season where he played alongside former Forest Green Rovers midfielder Dayle Grubb.
Watkins scored 10 goals in 24 appearances for the Seagulls before returning to Exeter City. In 2017 Watkins joined Championship side Brentford on a four-year deal for an undisclosed fee. Scoring 45 goals in 132 appearances for the Bees, the striker earned his big money move to Aston Villa in 2020 when he joined for a then club record fee of £28 million.
Watkins has gone on to score 50 goals since joining Villa, earning himself a place in Gareth Southgate’s England squad. On 25 March 2021, Watkins made his England debut as a second half substitute in a 5-0 win against San Marino subsequently scoring with his first shot on target in an England shirt.
After the game against Australia, Italy travel to the capital on Tuesday for a Euro 2024 qualifier.
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