West Ham attacker Jarrod Bowen has recalled leaving Hereford for Hull City as a youngster.
Bowen admits his career could've made a major change in direction at the time.
He told whufc.com: “I had West Brom and Wolves also interested which was a bit closer, so I was like get me there.
“But it was mainly my dad who made me go as far away as possible, so I could learn how to live on my own and all the other stuff off the field and stand on my own two feet.
"Otherwise, I would have just been at home every weekend. We sat down and discussed every decision and what we could do but he [his dad] was pushing more for the Hull City move. He said he knew I could take myself to the next level on the pitch but told me I would grow as a person there off the pitch.
“The first month was difficult because I am a family orientated person, so not being able to just pop down and see my family was very difficult. Obviously, you have FaceTime and stuff but it's not the same as seeing them in person. But it has definitely helped me get to where I am now.
“When I first went there, I didn't play football for six months. Coming from Hereford and non-league where there wasn't training, wasn't a gym and loads of nutrition like there is now, I went into a full-time environment, and I was thinking 'what is going on here' and I soon had a lot of problems with my ankles and my joints, which was probably because I hadn't experienced that environment before.
"I was fit and was fine, but they told me I'm not playing football for six months as they wanted to try and strengthen me up."
