Jarrod Bowen and Aaron Cresswell spoke about their pride and joy as West Ham United signed off their 2024/25 season in the best possible way with a 3-1 Premier League victory over Ipswich Town.
On an emotional afternoon at Portman Road, Cresswell and his team-mates Łukasz Fabiański, Vladimír Coufal and Danny Ings bade a final farewell to the travelling Claret and Blue Army having made a combined total of more than 800 first-team appearances between them.
James Ward-Prowse, Bowen and Mohammed Kudus found the target in Suffolk to ensure the Hammers moved up to 14th place in the Premier League table, above Manchester United, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Tottenham Hotspur, climbing three places in the final three matchweeks.
After Ward-Prowse's opener had been cancelled out by Nathan Broadhead, Bowen restored West Ham’s lead after 55 minutes with a rocket of a shot, his 13th top-flight goal of yet another remarkable season on a personal note, and our captain paid tribute to his friends and fellow 2023 UEFA Europa Conference League winners, who performed admirably and showed professionalism in recent weeks after learning they will be leaving the Club when their contracts expire in June.
Jarrod, let’s start with the main man (Aaron Cresswell) here. It says everything about him that when he came on the pitch, everybody in the stadium clapped him?
JB: “He [Aaron Cresswell] has been a credit to himself.
“I had a couple of questions before the game and even last week, and since the news came out that he was leaving, you wouldn't have known, and I think that's a credit to Cress himself, the way that he applies himself every single day in training, and he’s such a big character at this Club and will be remembered forever.
“We go to Manchester United away, and he puts in a Man of the Match performance there, and then against Nottingham Forest as well, he comes out with another strong performance.
“And I think, for me, that's one of the biggest things that Cress can look at himself and wear with pride. Today he got the moment that I think he thoroughly deserved, against the club that we signed him from and finishing in front of our fans that he's also played in front of for eleven years.
“For me, it's been a pleasure to be in the dressing room with Cress and to be a teammate and a friend as well. We’ve had some really good moments and had some real low moments as well, but we've always come out with a smile on our face, and we've always got each other's back.
“I'll always remember him, and he got every moment that he got today.”
Cress, you've had a lot of special moments. The fans were singing, ‘We want Cresswell on the pitch’. You got your moment, and that must have been lovely hearing that?
AC: “I spent a wonderful three years here [at Ipswich]. I loved every minute of it, and you just couldn't write it for me to play my last ever game against the club I left [to join West Ham in 2014].
“It was special. I was sweating a little bit towards the end about whether I was going to get on or not, but the reception I got will live with me until the day I die.
“Every time I've worn this jersey, I'd like to think I've worn it with pride and tried to represent the Club in the right way.”
“I'm reflecting certainly over the last two weeks, and I’m just grateful for the whole journey, and we've been through so many lows and had some unbelievable highs.
“I've said it a lot this week. These moments I'll cherish for the rest of my life. And I'll never forget these boys; the special group we've had, especially over the last four, five, or six years, has been incredible.”
Out captain Jarrod is not a bad boy to leave the Club in the hands of, is he? What a goal and another assist, and what another season he's had!
AC: “He (Jarrod Bowen) has been incredible, and not just this season. You look at, since he joined the Club, his numbers, his leadership. He is someone you can look to around the dressing room and rely on no matter what; through the low moments and through the high moments, he's still going to be the same Jarrod. There's no better player to wear the armband for me.”
You took it on your shoulders again today, Jarrod. We just conceded a disappointing goal, and then you just got up the other end, played a couple of one-twos and smashed it in the top corner?
JB: “Something like that! It was just a bit of interplay, and then just let the left foot go. It’s something that I think I probably need to do with a few more shots from outside the box, but as soon as I let it go, it went in, obviously, and I was delighted.”
Cress, it's so good to finish with a win. If we'd come here today and lost the game, it would have just not left a sour taste, but it’s good for the Club going forward that we finish with a win and we can go to the summer [on a high]?
AC: “It’s exactly that. You always want to finish the season on a high and don't want to let the season fizzle out, and I think as of late we've had some good results.
“Of course, the result last week was disappointing, but I think certainly the last three or four weeks have been quite positive, such as beating Manchester United at Old Trafford for the first time in 18 years.
“The off-season's coming now for the boys. They’ve got to rest up and go again and hit the ground running next season.”
Jarrod, you’ve scored 13 goals and had ten assists. Not a bad season?
JB: “And they took one assist off me! I'll still fight that until the day we're here!
“It’s been a different season for me. Being a captain, loads went on off the pitch, new managers and a new group. It’s been a lot for me. I'll try and never hide from it and try and wear myself in the most respectable way that I can on and off the pitch. That's all that I've tried to do, and I think especially since I’ve come back from my injury, I feel like I'm in a good place. I feel fit, and now it's important to rest in the off-season and come back again next season.”
