Rowell continued to improve during 2007/08, with his best moment for the youth team coming with a sublime run against Scunthorpe that saw him drift past five defenders before smashing the ball home. By this point his youth team career was already coming to an end as he was a regular starter for the reserves.
In January 2008 Rowell was offered a professional contract earlier than usual. Other clubs had become aware of his potential and Pools were keen to get him signed up rather than wait until his scholarship ended in the summer. Rowell accepted the offer and continued to impress at reserve level as the second string won their league. He was named on the bench for the first team`s trip to Bristol Rovers in April 2008 but wasn`t used, and an injury sustained in the next reserve game ruled him out for the remainder of the season.
After a brief cameo in a Football League Trophy tie against Leicester, Rowell eventually made his league debut against Hereford United at Edgar Street in Danny Wilson`s last game in charge. Rowell put in an impressive and mature performance that afternoon but he remained on the fringes of the first team for the next three months as caretaker boss and Director of Sport Chris Turner looked to more experienced heads in the fight against relegation. The 2009/10 season saw Rowell pushed even further from the first team picture. He managed just six substitute appearances in the league campaign though he remained an ever-present for the reserves. He was surprisingly released at the end of the season, whereupon he moved to Belgium to try to progress his career.