Noble gunning for top six

  • by Staff Writer
  • Tuesday, 10th August 2021

West Ham club captain Mark Noble has been speaking about his longevity as a first class footballer on the eve of his 18th season as a pro.

Noble, who celebrated his 34th birthday in May made his West Ham debut at the age of 17 in a Carling Cup tie against Southend United - meaning he has spent virtually half his life in the game.


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THAT iconic image of Noble celebrating with goalscorer Bobby Zamora in the 2005 play-off final


And with 527 appearances under his belt already, only six players have featured in more first class matches for West Ham United - Jimmy Ruffell (548), Alvin Martin (596), Sir Trevor Brooking (643), Bobby Moore (647), Frank Lampard (670) and Billy Bonds, who is way out in front with 799.

Although he is yet to win a major trophy with the Hammers - last weekend's Betway Cup excepted - Noble remains intensely proud of his record, which has been achieved in a era of constant change in which it is rare for any footballer to remain at one club throughout his career.

"One of my biggest achievements is probably the number of games I've accumulated for West Ham under nine or ten different managers," he told Sky Sports. "I think people get the view that if you're a home grown player you play in the team - and that's why I've played.

"But there's hundreds of home grown players that come through their teams, don't quite make it or play in their team on a regular basis and have to leave and go elsewhere.

"I've played under [managers with] different styles and different cultures and been able to adapt my game and play nearly 550 games. I'm very proud of that statistic - over 400 Premier League games for the club. It's one of my proudest achievements."


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Applauding the fans after his most recent performance, versus Atalanta


Although he is unlikely to feature in David Moyes' starting XI much this season, barring injuries to established first team players, Noble could yet beat Jimmy Ruffell's tally and rise to number six in that table of the club's most illustrious players.

And he has just one more season in which to do it, as he will not be seeking a new contract when his current deal expires at the end of the 2021/22 campaign.

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