First-team opportunities were limited for him at White Hart Lane and he made only 20 full appearances for the club though he was a member of the successful Tottenham Hotspur Squad of the 1984 UEFA Cup Final.
Mark Bowen scored his first goal for Norwich City against West Ham United on New Year's Day 1988 in a 4–1 win at home in the first division.
As well as carrying out his defensive duties in a consistent and dependable manner, Bowen was a threat going forward and in the 1989–90 season he finished as the team's joint top league goalscorer.
That season, he also collected the Barry Butler memorial trophy when the supporters voted him Norwich City player of the year.
Goalkeeper Bryan Gunn was sent off for arguing incessantly with the referee after he had awarded Coventry a penalty kick.
Bowen went in goal to replace him, only for Coventry's specialist penalty taker Brian Kilcline to miss the spot-kick by putting it wide.
At the end of the 1994–95 season, Norwich were relegated from the Premiership, many thought, due to the continually selling of key players.
[citation needed] Gary Megson replaced Martin O'Neill as manager halfway through the season and although and ex teammate, he and Bowen did not enjoy a good relationship.
After leaving Carrow Road, Bowen signed for West Ham United making his debut appearance on 21 August 1996 in a 1–1 home draw against Coventry City.
He made 20 appearances for The Hammers in all competitions scoring one goal in a 2–0 away win against Nottingham Forest on 21 September 1996.
Bowen began his coaching career while at Reading as Mark Hughes made him Assistant Manager for the Welsh national side.
Hughes and Bowen turned down contract offers from Fulham due to uncertainties as to how the club was being run at that time.
Bowen worked with Hughes at Queens Park Rangers for a year, saving the club from relegation from the Premier League in 2011.
[19] After Hughes was appointed Southampton manager in March 2018, Bowen followed him to St. Mary's, initially on a contract for the remainder of the 2017–18 season.
In May 2018, after successfully steering Southampton to Premier League safety, it was announced that Bowen had signed a new long-term contract.
Bowen made his senior debut for Wales on 10 May 1986, aged 22, in a 2–0 friendly defeat to Canada in North America.
His final Wales appearance came 11 years later on 11 February 1997 in a goalless friendly draw with the Republic of Ireland at Cardiff Arms Park.