Adrian Durham heaped praise on West Ham midfielder Mark Noble but dismissed journalist Martin Samuel’s claim that it was time to name a stand after him.
Samuel suggested in his column for the Daily Mail that there were few who would be a more worthy recipient than Noble when it comes to the Hammers deciding what to name the last available stand at the London Stadium.
However Durham didn’t think Noble was the right choice to name a stand after but did admit he is the type of player that every club should have.
“He has established himself in a Premier League side, he is a leader in that side, the fans love him, he loves the fans, he is part of the community and every club should really have a Mark Noble,” said the broadcaster on talkSPORT (17:06, Tuesday March 5th).
“Really they should be proud that they have a Mark Noble, the player, the man and his performances as well, he has the bottle to take all the penalties you like, there’s nothing not to love.
“Don’t misunderstand this it’s not having a pop at Mark Noble but given the amount of legends in West Ham seriously, does he deserves a stand named after him?”
OPINION
While West Ham fans may debate whether Noble is worthy of a stand being named after him, they won’t have any qualms about Durham’s verdict. The 31-year-old midfielder is a leader on and off the pitch and is a vital piece of the puzzle for Manuel Pellegrini’s side. While his lack of pace has been opposed by sides in some of his 24 outings this season, he has always given his all for the club. Noble’s passion and commitment can never be questioned and even when he is off-the-pace the orders he is barking at his teammates are helping them. Also it’s worth noting that the 31-year-old has oozed class in some of his appearances this season, with his performances against Manchester United and Liverpool deserving plaudits. Noble still has a long time to go in his career, he is contracted to the Hammers until 2021, and for that reason it’s perhaps too soon to start thinking about naming a stand after him.