Danny Dyer branded Thomas Tuchel’s decision to leave Jarrod Bowen out of the England World Cup squad “ridiculous”, admitting the family were so confident they were close to booking flights to the United States.
Danny Dyer didn’t hold back when it came to Jarrod Bowen missing out on the England World Cup squad.
The actor. who is Bowen’s son-in-law through his daughter Dani. called the exclusion “ridiculous” and said their family had been so certain Bowen would be selected that they were “half booking flights” to the United States. England’s squad have already “jetted out” to prepare for the tournament. while Bowen. 29. has been spending time with Dani as they process the shock of not making Tuchel’s plans.
Dyer made the case on The Wayne Rooney Show, calling Bowen’s situation a “double whammy”. “It’s a double whammy for him. he had a terrible weekend. it’s awful. ” Dyer said. describing the weekend as “a tough weekend for the kid” after Bowen “didn’t get called”. Dyer admitted there was even a sense of certainty in the family camp before the call came through: “We were half booking flights. That’s how confident we were. And then it turns out he got the call [saying no].”.
He added: “He’s got a big heart. man. and he should be on that plane.” Dyer also questioned the impact of Bowen’s absence on England’s start. saying: “Without Jarrod. they’re going to be pony. They’re going to struggle. I don’t think we’ll beat Croatia in the first game.” He referenced results from recent times too. saying: “Anyone decent we’ve played. Senegal we lost to. Japan.”.
Bowen’s World Cup omission comes amid a painful club moment. West Ham lost their Premier League status after a 14-year stint. a relegation Dyer described as leaving his son-in-law needing extra support. Bowen was particularly hurt by that outcome because he has been club captain, having been at the club since 2020.
On the international side, Bowen played in six of the eight England internationals leading up to Tuchel’s selection. That run left the impression he was in the German manager’s thinking as the squad was built.
Now his future is clouded by the combination of relegation and the World Cup call that never arrived. Bowen has been linked with various Premier League clubs, but Dani would like to stay at their Essex home, which creates tension around any potential move.
The stakes inside the family are clear in the way Dyer talks about what might come next. He suggested the team’s absence from the tournament could ripple beyond sport. and a source speaking to The Sun said Bowen has been “heavily linked with a move elsewhere” and “is keen to keep testing himself at the very top.” That same source warned it could be “devastating for Dani” because relocation could be on the table.
Dyer also pushed back on the idea of a move to a rival that survived while West Ham went down. He said that while clubs such as Liverpool, Manchester United, and Tottenham have been linked, a switch to Spurs—who remained in the Premier League at West Ham’s expense—“would feel rather off-colour”.
Danny Dyer Jarrod Bowen England World Cup squad Thomas Tuchel West Ham relegation Dani Bowen Premier League Croatia Senegal Japan
So Tuchel just leaves him out and everyone’s acting shocked? Cool cool.
Half booking flights to the US?? That’s wild 😂 I mean, if he’s that confident, then how could they not know it was a long shot. Also Tuchel leaving Bowen out feels like a personal thing or something.
“They’re going to be pony”?? Lol what does that even mean. If England can’t beat Croatia without Bowen then they weren’t good to begin with. And losing to Senegal and Japan doesn’t sound like a Bowen problem, it’s just England being England.
I don’t buy the whole “should be on that plane” thing. Like managers pick squads for a reason, not because your family-in-law is mad on a podcast. Bowen being left out doesn’t automatically mean England can’t win anything, but yeah I guess it’s gonna be awkward for West Ham fans too after the relegation. The article made it sound like he had a terrible weekend but I’m not sure what happened on that weekend anyway.