Leaving West Ham would have 'nagged away at me' in retirement, says Bowen

[p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/burnley/z3dmTMMO/"]Burnley[/a] and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/team/west-ham/Cxq57r8g/"]West Ham United[/a], two relegated sides last season, [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/game/soccer/burnley-z3dmTMMO/west-ham-Cxq57r8g/?mid=dAibMSGE"]kick off their campaign on Sunday afternoon[/a] as both sides strive to climb back to the English top flight. [/p][p][a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/bowen-jarrod/pW170H9K/"]Bowen[/a], West Ham captain, is arguably the best player in the Championship and has 65 goals and 49 assists in 231 top-flight games with the Hammers, who will be relying on him to push the side back to where they feel they belong. [/p][p][b]Across the last three seasons, only seven players scored more Premier League goals than Bowen (38), while his 25 assists were bettered by only [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/fernandes-bruno/GYvAMDm2/"]Bruno Fernandes[/a] (39) and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/salah-mohamed/08FBycgB/"]Mohamed Salah[/a] (35).[/b][/p][p]Bowen has more than proven his importance to the side, and speaking ahead of the club’s first Championship game, the forward explained his decision to stick with the club. [/p][p][b]"I was asked about my future after we were relegated and it was about making the right decision for myself,"[/b] the 29-year-old told Sky Sports. [/p][embed guid="4e4cac16-5667-4c74-9f13-c993b2ecd05a" url="https://x.com/WestHam_Central/status/2088907194947301885?s=20" social-type="twitter" /][p][b]"I thought of it as what's going to be the biggest 'what if?' when I retire? There's going to be 'what ifs' whatever you do, but it was going to be that one that would nag away at me for years and years to come. [/b][/p][p][b]"I knew I had to give it a go to get this club back into the Premier League. That was the overriding factor. [/b][/p][p][b]"There were different talks, there were different chances of me leaving, so it wasn't a decision that was made overnight. It was something I had to sit down and think about for myself because football is so intense and full-on week in, week out.[/b][/p][p]"I'm sure there's lots being said about decisions, but it's about me, it's about what I want, what I think's best for my career."[/p][p]West Ham have made £145 million from selling Mateus Fernandes and [a href="https://www.flashscore.ca/player/summerville-crysencio/EaRET7t6/"]Crysencio Summerville,[/a] but the club held on to Bowen, which may become their saving grace.[/p]