Generous West Ham Enable Noble To Finish Career At Club

There is always something unnerving and yet satisfying for supporters when a long serving player says that they want to end their career at the club, in Hammers case it is Captain Mark Noble. Noble debuted in 2004 as a 17 year old and has gone on to play around 450 games for the club, the option to extend his contract keeping him at the club until 2021 has been taken up, it is also envisaged that his services will be retained in a coaching capacity once he has hung up his boots for good.

Noble is something of a rarity being a 'one club' man, it is unlikely that there will be many more players of the same ilk in the future, in fact it will be unheard of! Noble's renaisance as a player has come about as a result of Manuel Pelegrini recognising the need for a leader on the pitch, having been dropped by Slaven Billic, David Moyes and initially by Pellegrini Noble's comeback has been nothing short of 'Furyesque' as he has seen off the opposition on numerous occasions. Playing alongside the magnificent Declan Rice, Noble has reinvented himself as a midfield destroyer, the fact that Issa Diop and The General are there to pick up the pieces means that Noble does not get caught out of position and is therefore less likely to lunge in.

Noble himself will admit he has lost the odd yard, but it matters not so long as he has young legs around him to cover for his lack of pace, his passion and influence offset his flaws as a player and he does tend to make a habit of playing better when he has class players around him, it happened when Payet was at the club and it appears to be happeneing now as a result of him playing alongside Felipe Anderson, among others. Noble replacements have come and gone in the past but inevitably he will have less of an influence on games as his age catches up with him, after all not every one can have Pablo Zabaleta's genes!

The duration of Noble's contract may have some fans thinking that it s a rather generous gesture from the club, however his wages which are believed to be £50,000 per week are not high compared with what is the norm nowadays and he does have a good footballing brain, sometimes his intelligence isn't noticed because it is disguised by his Canning Town accent with people just assuming he is a dumb footballer, that is far from the case and once he finally retires he will shine in a coaching capacity as well as being an entertaining studio guest for the broadcasters.

Mark Noble, a dying breed. - Ed