West Ham captain Mark Noble believes he will not “fully appreciate” his role at the club until he hangs up his boots, according to The Telegraph.
Mark Noble has been a West Ham for his entire since the midfielder made his debut for the club as a 17-year-old and still maintains the same amount of pride that he displayed as a young teenager.
Fourteen years later, Noble has established himself as a West Ham fan favourite since becoming club captain and making over 400 appearances in the claret and blue shirt.
Noble said, as quoted by The Telegraph: “I don’t think I will fully appreciate it until I have retired.
“My dad will ring me after a game and if we’ve lost it’s the end of the world for me but he will say: “I don’t think you realise – you are captain of West Ham, you grew up supporting the club.’
“And it’s one of the biggest clubs in the world. I mean that. I was walking along somewhere in the Maldives and there were West Ham fans there. It’s crazy.
“To captain this club and to lead them from Upton Park to the London Stadium. That’s history. That is never going to get taken away from me or my family.”
OPINION
Noble’s commitment to the Hammers has been astounding and his name will go down in West Ham’s history books for a long time. West Ham have built one of their strongest teams to date along with the appointment of Manuel Pellegrini as their manager. Noble also has competition in the middle of the pitch with the arrival of Jack Wilshere from Arsenal but should relish the competitive battle between his English team mate for a place in the starting line-up. After the infamous match against Burnley, in which Noble tackled one of his own supporters, it looks as if the club can move on from the disastrous events of last year with a new man in charge and a series of high-profile stars entering through the doors of the London Stadium. Now aged 31, Noble will be competing in his 15th season as a first-team squad member at the Hammers, a number that no current Premier League outfield player can compete against. The club means a great deal to Noble and, with the captain entering his final playing years, will be desperate to lift a piece of silverware for his beloved club before he reaches his retirement.