Northampton Town are back in League One after a 2-year-gap. The Cobblers won automatic promotion after finishing third in League Two in 2022/23. Integral to their season was Kieron Bowie, who was on loan from Fulham.

The 20-year-old has once re-signed for Northampton on loan for the 23/24 season. Bowie was integral to Northampton’s promotion to the league, having appeared in a large chunk of their league games.

The below visualisation shows where Kieron Bowie ranked for some key attacking, defensive and passing metrics compared with the other centre-forwards from League Two and other leagues at the same level as League Two, including Italy’s Serie C.

With five goals and three assists to his name, Kieron Bowie finished the 22/23 season with more positives than negatives. Having represented Scotland at U21 level, Bowie has played most of his career minutes at centre-forward but is also capable of playing in different attacking roles.

Bowie is quick and likes to keep things simple. He isn’t afraid to receive the ball and dribble past the opponents – ranked 80th percentile for dribbles per 90 minutes. One of his biggest strengths is his off-the-ball work.

With the energy and intensity he brings to his game, it is hard not to involve him in the game, and that is why he was in the top 10 for minutes played last season for the Cobblers. One aspect of his game that needs to be improved is his decision-making in the final third – especially when to shoot and when not to. The numbers show he is not a high-volume shooter where, technically, he could do well with more shots given; he is good at finishing.

With a little improved decision-making, Bowie will be a different player capable of playing in the higher leagues of English football. Being in an improvement that he is already comfortable with should do him a world of good, and that is why Bowie is a player to watch out for this season.