West Ham’s midfield looks stronger than ever at the moment. The Hammers have the likes of Jack Wilshere, Manuel Lanzini, Pablo Fornals and Declan Rice, who are all worth their weight in gold when fit and on form. However, the most important of the lot is Mark Noble.
It’s true that Noble is far from the most talented player at The London Stadium, but he’s one of the most important. The midfield man who’s famously never been capped by England has made up for the international snub by racking up 467 appearances for his club side, Transfermarkt.
Those appearances have come over the course of a 14-year spell as a senior in the Hammers’ side after he was promoted in January 2005, and no matter who he shares a dressing room with at the club there will always be a spot in the middle of the park reserved for Noble.
This season may be a tough one for the skipper with Wilshere and Fornals looking to break into the starting eleven, but no matter what happens Noble as to keep his place. Already a club legend, the skipper and penalty taker put together a fierce partnership with Rice last season, and long may that continue.
Having the extra midfield options should give Manuel Pellegrini room to rotate, chopping and changing for cup games and the like, but when things get tough in the big games they’ve always been able to rely upon Noble and that isn’t about to change.
Last season saw the 32-year-old feature 31 times in the Premier League, grabbing himself a tidy five goals and five assists, and the fans won’t want to see their local hero’s game time start to dwindle just yet, as he still has plenty to give in the middle of the park for a few more seasons.
