MARK BOWEN
Former clubs:
Wales, Blackburn Rovers, Manchester City, Fulham, QPR, Stoke City.
A former left-back, Bowen was a long-term international teammate of Hughes for Wales, who has since worked alongside the new Saints boss in all of his management positions.
Bowen’s career began in the youth ranks at Tottenham, where he progressed to play 21 times for the first team and won the UEFA Cup in 1984.
He made his Wales debut before leaving Spurs at the age of 23 and beginning a nine-year stay at Norwich.
Now playing regular football, Bowen enjoyed the best years of his career at Carrow Road, where he was later voted into the club’s all-time XI by supporters.
Player of the Year in his first season, the first of 399 appearances for City came against Saints in the old First Division back in 1987.
An ever-present in 1992/93, Bowen helped Norwich finish third in the inaugural year of the Premier League, before playing in an historic win over Bayern Munich in the UEFA Cup the following season – the only victory by a British team ever in the Olympic Stadium.
The later years of his playing career included a spell at West Ham and a brief period in China, before helping Charlton win promotion to the Premier League.
When the Addicks’ memorable play-off final with Sunderland finished 4-4 after extra time, Bowen converted from the penalty spot in the shoot-out en route to Wembley glory.
Still playing in the top flight in his mid-30s, a serious injury forced the defender into retirement after spending time with Wigan and Reading.
For Wales, Bowen earned 41 caps in an 11-year international career, scoring three goals, but, like Hughes, unfortunately never had the opportunity to represent his country at a major tournament.
After taking the Welsh manager’s job in 1999, Hughes appointed Bowen to his coaching staff, before the latter teamed up with Steve Bruce at Crystal Palace and Birmingham, again winning promotion via the play-offs on penalties – ironically at Norwich’s expense.
Bowen later returned to the Wales setup before he was named assistant manager at Blackburn under Hughes, who later appointed him at Man City and Fulham.
Following Hughes’s departure from Craven Cottage, Bowen stayed to work with the club’s Academy, later rejoining his former teammate at QPR, where he took caretaker charge for one game, and Stoke, where the duo spent four and a half years in partnership.
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