West Ham boss Graham Potter laughs off idea that Jarrod Bowen could follow in the footsteps of Vinnie Jones after EastEnders cameo
- EastEnders fans were treated to a touch of star power in Wednesday’s episode,
- Jarrod Bowen made a surprise appearance as part of Billy Mitchell’s stag party
- Bowen recorded a special video message for Billy, a lifelong Hammers fan.
Graham Potter hopes Jarrod Bowen will hold off any plans to follow in the footsteps of footballer-turned-film star Vinnie Jones after the West Ham captain made a surprise cameo in EastEnders.
The Hammers skipper stunned viewers on Wednesday night’s episode when he appeared on a video message to West Ham-supporting character Billy Mitchell in the Queen Vic to wish him well for his wedding.
‘I heard about that but I missed it – I need to see it,’ said Potter. ‘It’s not going to win an Oscar though is it?
‘The new Vinnie Jones? I wouldn’t have thought so!’
Former Wimbledon defender Jones went from tough-tackling centre-back to movie hard man in films like Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels and Snatch.
Potter needs Bowen, whose future father-in-law is Eastenders stalwart and Hammers fan Danny Dyer, to postpone any burgeoning acting career with his West Ham front line deep in an injury crisis.
Graham Potter (centre) doesn’t see Jarrod Bowen (right) pursuing an acting career
Bowen made a surprise appearance on an episode of EastEnders on Wednesday night
Bowen has only just returned from a fractured foot as strikers Niclas Fullkrug and Michail Antonio remained sidelined.
West Ham were dealt another blow after winger Crysencio Summerville was ruled out for up to two months after suffering a setback with a hamstring injury.
The £25million summer signing from Leeds has missed the last four games and is unlikely to be back until after the international break at the end of March.
‘The setback was at the back end of his rehab,’ said Potter. ‘He just felt something, which is disappointing.’
New striker Evan Ferguson, who joined from Brighton on loan in January, could make his debut against Brentford on Saturday.
‘He’s trained well,’ added Potter. ‘He hasn’t played loads of football recently, so we have to be careful with that and how many minutes he plays, whether that’s to start or at the end of the game.
‘He’s shown his quality, and is ready to help the team, and we feel he’ll just get better and better.’
Vinnie Jones went from a tough-tackling centre-back to movie hard man in films
Victory against the Bees will help bring another smile to the faces of those West Ham fans inside the Queen Vic — though Potter admits his priorities lie firmly on this side of the screen.
‘It’s hard enough keeping the real ones happy without getting involved with fictional ones!’
