Although Nottingham Forest’s recruitment plan in 2022 seemed scattergun, it actually followed somewhat resembling a plan. There were the players brought in to strengthen the team immediately, such as Morgan Gibbs-White, those who brought experience in the short term to a club making its first appearance in the top-flight since the 90s, and finally those who were clearly signed with the intention of building a Championship winning side, in the event Forest made an immediate return to the EFL.
Josh Bowler was one of those who fit firmly into this latter category. After an electric season with Blackpool, the former Everton man found himself with the world at his talented feet, with all three promoted sides reportedly showing interest in signing the winger. On deadline day 2022, he elected for a move to Forest, having previously turned down a deadline day move in January to stick with the Seasiders.
However, three seasons later, with Forest flying high in the Premier League and showing no signs of an imminent return to the Championship, Bowler now finds himself as a forgotten man at the City Ground, still waiting on his first competitive appearance in Garibaldi red. Despite five loan spells away from the club, the Chertsey born winger has failed to reproduce the spell of form that saw the Reds sign him in the first place, leaving the 26-year-old with a rather large predicament.
Surplus to requirements at Forest, with the deal he signed in 2022 expiring this June, where did it all go wrong for the promising winger who could have, and probably should have, been showing what he can do in the Premier League by now?
LIGHTING UP
Having been released by Fulham at the age of 12, Bowler spent a couple of years in the youth system of Aldershot Town before signing for Fulham’s West London neighbours QPR. It was at Loftus Road he would turn professional, signing an 18-month-deal in February 2017 at the young age of just 17.
His talent didn’t go unnoticed and by July he had signed for Everton for a fee of £4.25 million having made one appearance for the Rangers, coming off the bench in a final day defeat to Norwich to make his professional debut.
This first foray into the Premier League would foreshadow what was to come later on in Bowler’s career. The young star instantly became a member of Everton’s u23 squad, which at the time was filled with talent. With teammates such as Antony Gordon and Nathan Broadhead, Bowler thrived in the youth system, scoring the goal that clinched the Premier League 2 title for the Toffees in 2019. This success gave him the chance to train with Everton’s first team, where he impressed then boss Marco Silva.
His reward was a one-year contract extension and a loan move to Hull in June 2019, his first proper experience of competitive league football. Despite flitting in and out of the team in early months, Bowler’s skill and trickery seemingly helped him nail down a spot in the Tiger’s team. His first, and only, goal for the club came at Craven Cottage in November, helping Hull towards a 3-0 victory against his former side.
Bowler’s talent was evident, but that only meant supporters became even more frustrated with the attacker’s lack of goal contributions and all-around game. As fans lamented his tendency to dribble down blind alleys, starts became limited and he found himself firmly behind future England star Jarrod Bowen in the pecking order.
An injury in January further derailed the attacker’s season and he wouldn’t feature in a matchday squad again until June, with the season having been extended due to the 2020 Corona Virus pandemic. Game time upon his return was limited, with opposition teams wise to the threat he posed out wide. In his final performance for the club he was hauled off after a mere 35 minutes as Hull were mauled by Wigan in a shocking 8-0 loss. Hull would end the season with relegation to League One, capping off a frustrating season for the club and their on loan wide man.
A year later he would depart Goodison too, having not made an appearance for Everton’s senior team.
ECCENTRIC AND ELECTRIC
By June 2021 Bowler had found himself a new club, penning a one-year deal at newly promoted Blackpool. At Bloomfield Road he was able to link up with manager Neil Critchley, who had recently led the Seasiders back to the Championship. Critchley’s time at Liverpool as a youth coach meant he knew the talent Bowler possessed, describing the 22-year-old as a valuable addition to the squad.
Critchley’s trust in the winger would be repaid instantly, as Bowler combined with former Everton teammate and fellow summer signing Shayne Lavery for a last-minute equaliser in Pool’s season opener at Bristol City. A smart pass from Keshi Anderson allowed Bowler to lay on an assist for the Northern Irishman, securing a point for the Seasiders on their Championship return.
Game time was limited at the start of the season, but the flashes of ability shown in his appearances, including an impressive 90 minutes in the League Cup saw Bowler quickly become an integral part of the side. This run of form was capped off by a superb solo goal, the winger dancing through Fulham’s defence to secure Blackpool’s first win of the season. From this point on, Bowler didn’t look back.
His form in a Tangerine shirt made him one of the Championship’s most feared attackers. Alongside this, it also made him one of Blackpool supporter’s favourite players, with his long hair and white boots being serenaded by fans at every game. It seemed that Bowler was finally living up to the potential that Everton had seen in him. Eight goals, alongside some magical appearances, meant that Bowler had the majority of the Championship’s big boys chasing after him.
Whilst some issues remained, such as his perceived selfishness, Bowler was starting to back his ability up with numbers. His creativity saw him finish the season with the most successful dribbles in the Championship, showing his development from those early days at Hull.
Despite speculation surrounding his future, Bowler began the 2022/23 season at Blackpool. An extension clause in his contract meant Blackpool held the upper hand in negotiations, although this would not disturb Forest. On deadline day 2022 a reported fee of around £4 million was agreed for the winger and he would depart Blackpool having made 71 appearances in all competitions.
One of his parting gifts to the Seasiders would be a goal against the club where he turned pro, scoring the only goal in a 1-0 against QPR to secure Blackpool’s first win at Loftus Road since 1972.
LOST SPARKS
No sooner had the ink settled on Bowler’s new contract than he was sent on his first loan move, jetting off to Greece and joining Forest’s sister club Olympiacos. This move saw him line up alongside James Rodríguez and Marcelo, stars whose success in the game slightly rivalled that of Bowler’s former big-name teammates, such as Richard Keogh and Gary Madine.
His time in Athens was far from successful. Despite making his European debut, Bowler featured sparingly in the Super League, managing only 94 minutes between 4 games. A frustrating spell, in which Bowler averaged a mere 0.7 dribbles per game (compared to 3 at Blackpool), was cut short in January. This left the winger in limbo, having already turned out for two teams in 2022/23, meaning his only hope was a return to Blackpool.
Luckily, the Seasiders were more than happy to oblige, having found themselves in a relegation battle. Bowler was thrust into the attack immediately, with the aim of picking up where he left off. His first goal upon his return helped seal an important point against fellow strugglers Huddersfield, giving hope to fans of a great escape. Unfortunately, both the club and Bowler suffered under the calamitous reign of Mick McCarthy. Under McCarthy’s outdated tactics Bowler and fellow loanees Morgan Rodgers and Ian Poveda struggled to make an impact as the club went down to League One with a whimper, sealing Bowler’s second career relegation to date.
Meanwhile, in another blow to Bowler’s career, Forest had sealed their Premier League status for another season. For Bowler, this would result in another loan, this time seeing him head to Cardiff for the season. His time in Wales proved to be uninspiring, with inconsistency marring his time at the club. A 13-game goalless run was evidence of a player who on his day could be a match winner but could not reproduce the necessary form regularly.
The 2024/25 season was nothing less than a make-or-break season for Bowler. Now 25, with just 12 months remaining on his contract at the City Ground, this was the season for Bowler to recreate the form that saw him catch Premier League attention in the first place.
Whilst a loan return to former club Hull was touted, the winger instead opted for a move to Blackpool’s bitter rivals, Preston North End. Alienating the only fan base to date who held him in a high regard was a bold move from Bowler, and one that had to pay off. Hopes for Bowler at Deepdale were high; not only did the move anger their biggest rivals, but the Lilywhites had highly depended on Liam Millar the previous season and his return to Basel had left a massive hole in their side. Because of this, rumours of an option to buy excited PNE fans.
Sadly, the move seemed doomed to fail from the start. Unfit from the start, Bowler picked up an illness, which saw him set back in terms of match-fitness making appearances hard to come by. Combined with Paul Heckingbottom’s reluctance to play wingers, Bowler failed to make the impression fans had hoped for when he had signed. In his time at Deepdale, Bowler featured mainly from the bench, and was limited to just ten league starts. With manager Heckingbottom outspoken about his reluctance to play wingers, it seemed clear Bowler’s time would be over in January. Added to this, with every performance, a permanent deal seemed to become further out of reach.
Comically, neither Forest nor PNE possessed a clause to end the loan, with all parties having banked on its success. This meant for Bowler’s Deepdale nightmare to end, another club had to come in to take him off Preston’s hands. With Heckingbottom open about Bowler’s situation and lack of game time, and with the window creeping to a close, the winger seemed doomed to become a forgotten man at a second club.
Luckily, just days before the window slammed shut, in came Luton Town. Bowler signed a loan deal until the end of the season, signalling his fifth loan since joining Forest in 2022. Despite having a major point to prove, Bowler’s time at Kenilworth Road so far seems to be heading in a familiar direction. With manager Matt Bloomfield’s focus on providing results to hold off a second consecutive relegation, demand for a maverick winger is not high on his agenda. Bloomfield even issued an apology to the winger in a recent interview with the local press, stating his decision to play without wingers is “the best way to get the best out of this group right now”.
Should the situation at the bottom of the Championship not change, Bowler will find himself on the receiving end of a third career Championship relegation. With chances limited at Luton, it seems apparent that he won’t be the man entrusted to rescue the Hatters from their predicament. The position Bowler finds himself in is one no Blackpool fan would have expected him to find himself in following his breakout season in 2021/22. A series of bad decisions seem to have stunted his career and, with the winger having recently turned 26, time seems to be running out for a Premier League debut.
However, the winger still seems to be holding on to the dream of playing in the top flight, having told The Sun, “(he) can taste it, but I haven’t had the full bite yet… and I really want it.” Whether Bowler finally gets the chance will depend on the success of his next move, following his imminent release from Forest. If he can get it right, and relight the spark he found at Bloomfield Road, there is no doubt he can play at the top level. For a player whose career has seemingly been defined by bad decisions, there has never been more pressure on getting one right.
