[Julen Lopetegui](https://www.claretandhugh.info/julen-lopetegui/) owes a huge debt of gratitude to West Ham’s Jarrod Bowen, who did more than anyone to ensure the Hammers boss lived to fight another day.
The Irons captain was simply magnificent against Wolverhampton Wanderers, leading his team to victory with a goal, an assist, and a never-say-die attitude that epitomises his **West Ham** career.
If rumours are to be believed, it was [Bowen](https://www.claretandhugh.info/jarrod-bowen-bio/) who calmed both of Lopetegui’s fallouts with West Ham players this season, following half-time squabbles with Mohammed Kudus and Jean-Clair Todibo.
Bowen hasn’t only been leading behind the scenes but also on the pitch, where he fought tooth and nail to keep his manager in a job with a display of prodigious work rate and skill. If there were any doubts about the players’ commitment to Lopetegui, Bowen’s tireless performance certainly dispelled them, as he led the charge forward in search of a goal.
Whilst the season hasn’t exactly been a classic, Jarrod has continued to improve technically and impress at both club and international levels.
There’s little doubt that the training ground had become a fractured place until recently, and it’s almost certain that Bowen played a key role in unifying and repairing relationships that had clearly broken down.
West Ham and Lopetegui are lucky to have him.