As “Mr West Ham” announces he will leave West Ham at the end of the 2021/2022 season, Daniel McNeil takes a look back on his career.
Mark Noble is an English central midfielder who is captain of his boyhood club West Ham United. Born in Canning Town, West Ham is a club very close to his heart. From 2004, he has played only for West Ham aside from two seasons out on loan and Hull City and Ipswich. Being an ever present for the Hammers, he has amassed 458 games for the East End side, in an affiliation spanning over 21 years.
As a young boy growing up, Noble played for Barking Colts, and at the tender age of 11, caught the eye of Arsenal, and joined their famed academy. Noble grew up in Beckton, to working class parents and his time at Arsenal was always in doubt as his dad would struggle to get him to training due to the distance from his house to Hale End, and his work engagements getting in the way.
Signing for his boyhood club
Noble grew up supporting West Ham, and when they showed an interest, he ended his two-year stay with the Gunners and signed as a youth player in 2000.
It was clear Noble was on the right track to becoming a West Ham starlet when he became their youngest ever player to appear in their reserve team, aged just 15.
Two years after, in 2004, Noble aged just 17 made his first team debut for his boyhood club in August 2004, as his team ran out 2-0 winners against Southend United. He made his league debut for the Hammers in the Championship in January 2005, losing 4-2 to Wolves.
In May 2005, West Ham had the chance to return to the Premier League via the play-offs, and Noble made an appearance coming on in the 82nd minute and West Ham beat Preston to win 1-0 and seal their immediate return to England’s top division.
Almost a clean sweep
Noble ended that season with winning Young Hammer of the Year and was a surprise runner up to the Hammer of the Year award, despite making his debut just four months earlier, solidifying the beliefs on fans that he was an unbelievable talent.
As West Ham started the 2005/2006 season in the Premier League, Noble fell further down the pecking order and only featured five times that season and didn’t play at all for the club in 2006.
In order to try and reach his potential, Noble was loaned to Championship side Hull City, and made five appearances. He made his debut in February 2006, in a 1-0 away defeat to Cardiff. His season was unfortunately cut short due to injury.
Gaining valuable experience
In August 2006 and free from injury, Noble once again stepped down a division to ply his trade for Ipswich Town, in an attempt to gain valuable first team experience. He played 13 games over a three-month period and scored his first professional goal in a 2-1 victory vs Coventry.
Noble returned to West Ham and scored his first goal for the club in the third round of the FA Cup in January 2007, latching on to a lovely Carlos Tevez pass, in a 3-0 win vs Brighton. Just two months later, Noble scored his first league goal for West Ham as he netted the opener in a 4-3 loss to Tottenham, with the pictures of him crying on the pitch at the end now synonymous with that famous game. In the 2006/2007 season, he found consistency and played 11 games in all competitions, scoring an impressive three goals along the way.
Ever-present
Under Alan Curbishley, Noble was a staple of a solid West Ham side, starting 36 games out of 38 in the league, ending the season playing with an injury that he kept secret from everyone. His finest performance in a West Ham shirt (at the time) came in this season, scoring a penalty in 1-0 over Liverpool, with his individual performance labelled exceptional.
The 2008/2009 season was much the same. He remained an almost ever-present and retained his spot in the side after Gianfranco Zola replaced Curbishley. In March 2009, he marked his 100th appearance with the club with a goal in 1-1 draw and signed a new four-year contract.
Under Avram Grant, Noble remained a key-component of what looked to be a top midfield, having an anchor role in a 4-3-3, playing alongside Jack Collison and Scott Parker. However, West Ham were relegated to the Championship and despite his four goals, finished bottom of the league.
Noble stayed with West Ham during their season in the England’s second tier, and scored eight goals, seven of which were from the penalty spot. Noble featured in West Ham’s play-off final victory against Blackpool and missed just one game of 46 in the league, playing 49 in all competitions. Having twice been runner up, he finally won Hammer of the Year in 2012.
In the 2013/2014 season, Noble won Hammer of the Year and Players’ Player of the Season.
Noble played a starring role in West Ham’s first win at Anfield since 1963, scoring the opener. In December 2015, it was announced that Noble would be granted a testimonial. The game was played during an international break in March 2016, playing in front of 36,000 fans, with players such as Dean Ashton and Paolo Di Canio making appearances.
In 2017, as Noble reached the latter stages of his career, there were calls for him to be dropped, and all of this came to a head in 2018 as protests against the owners saw Noble grapple with a fan and wrestle him to the ground. Noble ensured West Ham’s safety that season with a volley from the edge of the area away at Leicester, a goal he described as the best of his career.
In the 2019/2020, when the emergence of Declan Rice saw Noble in and out of the side, he marked his 500th appearance against Watford in a 3-1 win.
Noble attacked the club on social media after the sale of wonderkid Grady Diangana at the start of the 2020/2021 season. On Twitter, Noble stated “As captain of this football club I’m gutted, angry and sad that Grady has left, great kid with a great future”.
Noble announced on the 9th March 2020 that the 2021/2022 season would be his last, and this is a short snippet from an open letter, from West Ham’s website.
Club Legend
“I wanted to write this letter to personally tell you that I am delighted to have accepted the opportunity to extend my contract with the Club, until the summer of 2022.
I have also decided, after much consideration, that the 2021/22 season will be my 18th and final one as a first-team player at West Ham United. It is a decision I have made following a lot of discussion with my family, my friends and people at the football club. I’ve also had conversations with the manager and it’s clear that he and the Club want to build something and continue to take the football club forward in a positive way – a way I fully believe in – while my desire to keep pushing the ethos and values of West Ham United, especially to our new signings and young players coming through our Academy, is as strong as ever.
First and foremost, I still firmly believe I have a lot to offer on the pitch. I would not have signed a new contract if I didn’t feel I could do myself justice or bring value to the team.
What makes it easier is the fact that we are all pulling in the same direction and want the same thing. In all my time at West Ham, the spirit among the squad and everyone at the Club is as good as it has ever been.
I am so proud of how everyone at West Ham United has come together in the past 12 months.
I, for one, have missed you so much. Walking out at London Stadium in front of 60,000 people, listening to Bubbles ringing out and the roar when it stops just before kick-off – there is nothing quite like it. It’s also another part of the reason I have signed the contract extension. The thought of finishing my career playing for West Ham in empty stadiums is something I can’t comprehend and the recent positive news means we hope to have you alongside us again before this season is out.
Throughout my time here, I’m immensely proud to have captained the team these past five years, from an incredible last season at the Boleyn to the first one at London Stadium – that’s something I’ll always remember and is history for me and my family.
A truly unforgettable testimonial and reaching 500 appearances for West Ham are two things in particular I would like to thank the Club for their magnificent support in celebrating, and what made those moments even more special was the love that came from you, our supporters”.