#16
Mark Noble
DOB: 08/05/1987
Position: Midfielder
West Ham United Career
Appearances: 256
Goals: 31
Debut: 24/08/2004 vs Southend United
Debut Goal: 06/01/2007 vs Brighton & Hove Albion
Mark Noble has been in and around the first time for so long now that he feels like a part of the furniture. It’s hard to believe that he made his first team debut more than 9 years ago now, and harder still to believe that he is only 26 years old.
Our longest serving current player, Noble is actually fifth place in our list of all time Premier League appearances (170), behind John Moncur (175), Rob Green, Trevor Sinclair (both 177) and Steve Potts (204). His total of 256 club appearances also places him at number 47 in our list of record club appearances – and, should he reach 30 appearances, as he did last year, he will climb to 38th.
As can be the case with such long serving players, it’s easy to forget or overlook the job that Noble does for the club. Some fans see him as a bit of a workhorse but little else. When Alou Diarra was signed last summer, Noble was the name many people put forward to drop out of the side – a call which could be heard again this season when Ravel Morrison returned from loan.
However, Noble does seem to gain recognition from outside the club. Dietmar Hamann recently tweeted that Noble was “a fine player” and “lovely to watch”, while the Englishman also surprisingly appeared in the Capello Index Premier League XI and Dream Team last year.
So, which is correct? Is Noble a “fine player” worthy of a place in a Premier League XI, or is he merely a hard working mid table midfielder?
For the full article on Mark Noble, including a comparison of last season with and without Noble in the starting XI, a look at his changing role this season, and a comparison with Hodgson’s England midfielders, head to West Ham United Stats
Tom Aldworth / hammerstats
COYI