Sadly, my football playing career has come to an end.
Former Tottenham Hotspur and Ireland U19s player Jamie Bowden has been forced to retire at the age of 23, following a serious ankle injury suffered in 2022.
Bowden spent 15 years at Spurs after arriving as a six-year-old, and was released in 2023.
He had been close to making his debut for the London club and was named in the match-day squad for Premier League and Europa League games. He also went on loan to League Two side Oldham Athletic during the 2021/22 season.
He togged out for the Ireland U19s, with the highlight being two goals and two assists in a 13-0 win over Gibraltar in a 2019 Euro qualifier.
Following his release from Spurs, he tried to reignite his career with unsuccessful trials at AFC Wimbledon and Deportivo de la Coruna.
In a statement on Instagram, Bowden announced his retirement:
Sadly, my football playing career has come to an end.
On August 13th 2022 I suffered an ankle injury that would ultimately ruin my interesting playing career I had ahead of me.
Firstly, I give thanks for being able to call myself a professional football player and to score a professional goal whilst on loan at Oldham.
I started kicking balls at such a young age and loved every moment of it. It’s just unfortunate that I was never able to fulfil my potential on the pitch.
Since then I’ve learnt lots of new things. I’ve learnt that mental health is real and how powerful it can be.
My love for the game is deep, that football is in my DNA and my want to help is profound. God is with us throughout.
I want to thank the people that have stuck by me during this hard period, and the people who helped me during my playing days.
I look forward to see where the beautiful game takes me next.
