Julen Lopetegui praised Jarrod Bowen’s “commitment” as a critical characteristic after naming the England winger the new West Ham captain.
Bowen has been named club captain in east London as he begins his third full season since signing from Hull in January 2020, with long-serving left-back Aaron Cresswell named vice-captain.
The 27-year-old has scored 60 goals for West Ham, including the winning goal in last year’s Europa Conference League final, and was part of Gareth Southgate’s selection for Euro 2024.
He succeeds Kurt Zouma as captain at the London Stadium, with the French defender reportedly negotiating a move away from the club and due to leave this summer.
“He is an English national team player, and he has the club’s commitment to become the new captain,” Lopetegui said of Bowen’s selection. 
“All of us will help him. He has a lot of responsibilities. The more important thing is what occurs on the pitch. We were certain he was a terrific option.”
Lopetegui, who replaced David Moyes as manager, is scheduled to take command of his debut game with the club against Aston Villa on Saturday evening.
The Spaniard has had a busy summer in the transfer market, with Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Max Kilman, and Niclas Fullkrug among the notable acquisitions.
Despite failing a physical at Shabab Al-Ahli, Zouma appears to be moving on to another club for next season. The centre-back is in Dubai for discussions with another club, and Lopetegui wished the Frenchman luck.
“Kurt is a fantastic person and a very good player,” Lopetegui said. “He is attempting to pick his future. We’re going to wait.
“It is true that he is now trying to communicate with other teams. Let’s see what happens. The team that has the possibility to acquire him will undoubtedly be pleased because he is a talented player. Kurt is someone I admire much. Edson Alvarez is a doubt for West Ham’s opening after suffering a hamstring injury while abroad with Mexico in the Copa America, but Lopetegui has an otherwise healthy team to choose from.
The new West Ham manager announced that Wan-Bissaka is eligible for selection after the right-back completed his transfer from Manchester United earlier this week.
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