Exclusive: McAvennie delighted with Noble contract extension at West Ham
We’re delighted to welcome former West Ham United striker Frank McAvennie as our exclusive columnist. Each week he’ll be giving his views on the biggest talking points at the London Stadium…
Frank McAvennie has questioned why Mark Noble would not want to spend his final year as a footballer away from West Ham.
Noble, 33, has spent his entire career playing for the Irons, playing 520 times in all competitions since his debut 2004. However, the midfielder has seen his game-time drastically reduce this season with him earning just three Premier League starts.
As confirmed on the West Ham website this week, Noble has agreed to extend his contract at the London Stadium until the end of next season. But the Hammers campaign added that the 2021/22 campaign will be his 18th and final season as a player.
Ex-Hammers striker McAvennie believes Noble’s influence in the dressing room and at the training ground will prove pivotal in his final year at the club.
However, McAvennie cannot shake the feeling that Noble should have probably looked at playing regularly somewhere else before hanging up his boots.
Speaking exclusively to West Ham Zone, Noble said: “I think he’s great.
“He’s not going to go anywhere but why doesn’t he want to go anywhere else and prove himself again? It’s been 18 years at West Ham, I’d want to go somewhere else and go and prove myself.
“He knows what he’s going to get, he knows he’s not going to play at West Ham except for maybe a couple of cup games or if someone gets injured, he’ll come in and fill in admirably. But he’s not a number one pick any more, which he’s quite happy with and he’s said that.
“It’s quite refreshing to see that because he’ll help the young boys coming through. He’s a West Ham supporter and you have no idea how much of a difference it makes in the dressing room when you have genuine supporters.
“When you have that in the dressing room and the young boys coming through the academy and seeing Noble’s there, it’s a win-win for the club.”
West Ham find themselves fifth in the Premier League standings with 11 matches left to play.
They’ve lost just seven of their 27 league games so far and Noble has started two of them. The other top-flight fixture he started was a draw with Brighton.
It’s fairly obvious that the Irons are a better side when they have Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek in the central midfield positions over Noble, who’s oddly been used in a more advanced role by David Moyes when he has started.
McAvennie makes a good point about the Hammers captain and potentially seeking game-time elsewhere before he retires but, this is Mr West Ham we’re talking about.
Sure, Noble had a couple of loan spells away from East London at the start of his career but can we really see him playing in any colour other than the claret and blue of West Ham United? We really don’t.
Noble’s a modern-day club legend and we’re glad he’s going to stick around for an extra year.
In other West Ham news, the Irons are eyeing up Rochdale teenager Kwadwo Baah.