sport news It is farewell to West Ham for Mark Noble after 18 years of service to his ... trends now
This won’t be the last the London Stadium see of Mark Noble. He’ll be back. Of course, he will. Born in Canning Town and raised in the club’s famed academy, West Ham has been Noble’s past and present.
Expect it to be his future, too. Discussions are ongoing over how the club can best utilise Noble in a non-playing executive capacity.
Noble, it is understood, wants a position that he can sink his teeth into; a role that provides tangible responsibility in shaping the future of a club he's dedicated his life to.
Mark Noble appeared teary-eyed following a tribute from fans before his last home game
He doesn’t want to make up the numbers - it’s not something he is used to.
During an 18 year senior career, the 35-year-old has lived and breathed West Ham.
His influence in the Hammers team for nearly two decades is unrivalled: the passes, the tackles, the energy, the hunger, the drive, the goals - all 62 of them.
Noble made his long-awaited entrance into the game with 13 minutes to go after coming off the bench
Quite why Noble was never afforded a chance at international level will remain one of English football’s mysteries.
West Ham coach Kevin Keen, who helped nurture Noble during the midfielder’s passage through the academy, put it rather bluntly at half time: ‘It’s a joke from the FA.’
Looking forward, Declan Rice is the obvious heir to Noble’s throne - but it seems highly unlikely the 23-year-old will dedicate his entire career to West Ham.
That’s no criticism of Rice, who should do what is right for himself.
The one-club man and West Ham captain was presented with a framed shirt after the match
Yet it emphasises exactly what West Ham have had in Noble. That’s what makes people like him so rare - the epitome of a one-club man.
There hasn’t been an ounce of sentiment attached to Noble’s selections because he’s a local lad; he’s earned and deserved all of his 540-plus
