At around 01:30 on September 26, 2023, McGowan was awakened by a phone call.
It used to be his sister with the inside track he feared: his father, the easiest companion and biggest fan had given up the ghost.
“He was a very funny character,” says McGowan. “He was full of life and someone who lit up a room. He was hardworking and old school in a lot of ways. He would have told me to keep going.”
And that’s simply what McGowan did.
He next played in Northampton’s 2–2 draw with Chelsea Under 21s in the EFL Trophy.
“I’m pretty good at remembering moments from games, but that game feels blurry,” he recalls.
“Looking back, I can’t believe I did it, but I knew I was the kind of person who could overcome something like that.
“Before the game, I kept it to myself. A lot of my teammates had no idea what was going on until the game came around.
“My dad spent the last five months of his life in the hospital, so when my teammates talked about going to the zoo or the park with their little ones on their days off, I spent hours in the hospital visiting dad.”
Joe is rarely far from McGowan’s thoughts and knows his father would love to be in the country for Saturday’s derby in front of the BBC cameras.
McGowan, who is currently sidelined with hamstring trauma, hopes that by speaking out about his loss, he can help someone who is going through misfortune.
When asked what advice he would give to anyone grieving, McGowan responds: “I like to look at it this way: Dad gave me years of love, laughter and memories.
“I know I’m very lucky to have had that era with him.”
