Jared Bowen's England call a dream come true

The 25-year-old scored 12 Premier League goals last season and was rewarded with a place in Gareth Southgate’s squad for the upcoming Nations League fixtures. “It is everything,” he said. “It is everything you dream of when you’re growing up and to get the call, obviously it is an honour and a privilege.”

Bowen is joined in the England squad by Hammers captain Declan Rice, who has been linked with a move away from the London Stadium.

“I don’t see it as a distraction for Dec,” added Bowen.

“I have seen how good he is, at the Euros and this season he has gone onto another level. You want to play with the best players and I want to play with him at my club and with England as well.”

Bowen has been called up for the first time just months before Gareth Southgate will name his squad for the 2022 World Cup.

“Of course I have thought about it,” he added.

“For me it is not about just to come and go, it is my first camp. The Nations League is a great tournament as well and you want to be successful in every tournament.”

n Steve Clarke is “desperate” to lead Scotland to the World Cup finals in Qatar as he acknowledged the devastating plight of play-off semi-final opponents Ukraine. There will be extra focus on the match at Hampden Park tonight in light of Ukraine having been invaded by Russia in February, which caused the original fixture in March to be postponed.

The Scotland boss, who will be without Nathan Patterson after the Everton right-back ran out of time to prove his fitness, recognises the “incredible situation” the visitors find themselves in but is looking to take his side to the play-off final against Wales in Cardiff next Sunday and hopefully on to Qatar later in the year.

Clarke said: “Nothing but good thoughts for them and good wishes for them, except during the game. “Obviously they want to go to Qatar and represent their country but I am desperate to go to Qatar with Scotland, my staff are desperate to go and most importantly our players are desperate to take their country to a World Cup finals.

“I said a long time ago that I hoped the game would go ahead in June because that will mean the situation in Ukraine will have improved.

“It hasn’t. We are still here.

“We always said we would be guided by the Ukrainians and if they felt the game should go ahead or not.

“They made the decision to take their players out of the country for a training camp because they want to play and try to give their nation a boost by qualifying for Qatar. The game goes ahead but still with the horrific outside influence but for us, we focus on the football.”

n Gareth Bale has joined the Wales camp ahead of their clash in Poland tonight with manager Robert Page delighted that Real Madrid fans “showed their class” to the five-time Champions League winner. Bale became the first British player to win the competition on five occasions and was cheered by Real fans. “I thought they showed class and rightly so for what he’s achieved for that football club,” said Page.