Bowyer - I'm no animal

Hammers midfielder unhappy at lack of England caps

Last updated: 20th January 2008

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Bowyer: Frustrated

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West Ham United midfielder Lee Bowyer believes he should have been provided with more opportunities to represent England.

Bowyer has appeared for his country just once - under former England boss Sven Goran Eriksson in the friendly against Portugal in 2002.

The 31-year-old believes he has been victimised for his off-field troubles, and has hit out at what he perceives as the belief that he is an 'animal'.

In the past

"People think I'm a bad person. Stuff off the pitch has happened but you're talking about a long time ago," he said in The Mail on Sunday.

"I should have played for my country a lot more. I went a season with 15 or 17 goals and I didn't play a game. It was obviously because of the off-field stuff.

"Why can other people represent their country when they've had problems and I couldn't? People seem to think I'm this animal."