NOBLE WILL MISS IT WHEN TIME COMES TO HANG UP HIS BOOTS
EIGHTEEN years on, Mark Noble is still feeling the love. eye-opener for me. I had my best friends ringing me from work after they had read it.
“One of them said ‘Mark, I’ve had to go to the back of the yard where I work and wipe my eyes’.”
Born in nearby Canning Town, Noble, left, made his debut in 2004 against Southend in the League Cup.
He has now made more than 400 Premier League appearances and could finish this season by helping West Ham into the Champions League. He said: “We made some really good signings – signings West Ham should be making. “Players that want to work for the badge. And we’ve progressed. So, no matter how this season ends, it’s been a very successful season. We’ve got to aim for Europe.” Noble’s widespread respect stems from his impressive leadership.
Last year, he and the players joined the board and manager David Moyes in taking wage deferrals.
Noble also donated £35,000 to help the vulnerable in nearby
Basildon. He is a key member of the Premier League captains’ group, Players Together, which quietly raised money for the NHS in the pandemic.And he plays a role in nurturing the next generation.
“I spend a lot of time in the academy because my son’s there,” Noble said.
“I do one-on-ones with them, looking through their clips to see how they can get better.”
Noble is up there alongside the likes of John Terry, Steven Gerrard and Ryan Giggs as one-club Premier League legends. But there is something else which makes him even more proud.
“One of my greatest achievements in football is having eight or nine different managers at one football club appreciate me,” he said.
“You have to lace up your boots and prove yourself on the pitch every week – and I’ve done that.”
●WEST HAM have announced their latest official partner – Grintafy. We sat with Mark Noble to discuss his affiliation with the Hammers and their positive season.
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