West Ham ‘father figure’ worked with Declan Rice’s real dad to support England star in Euro 2020
Declan Rice’s West Ham “father figure” Mark Noble teamed up with his actual father to talk the England star through Euro 2020 reports the Evening Standard.
The Hammers midfielder was impressive as the Three Lions made it all the way to the final, teaming with Leeds’ Kalvin Phillips at the base of Gareth Southgate’s midfield.
And his club captain played a valuable role in the off-pitch preparation to help him perform so well, combining with the player’s real dad before getting in contact with the international man.
Jack Rosser writes in the Standard, as part of a piece looking at Rice’s rise to the top: “There were daily FaceTime calls with Mark Noble throughout Euro 2020, in which his close friend and father figure from club level would talk through every game and discuss where things could be improved, with Noble having already gone through everything with Rice’s dad, Sean.”
Family club
The dynamic between the Hammers midfield master Noble, and his apprentice Rice is the type of thing fans love.
It is also what makes the potential exit of the younger of the pair that much more of a depressing prospect.
The level that the 23-year-old reached on the biggest international stage in the summer is seen to be part of what may be pushing him towards a big-money transfer.
In that way, the role of Noble as the West Ham father figure is all the more poignant as the Irons captain will have helped prepare Rice for life elsewhere.
Rice’s own father will have helped his son prepare for life once he left home, so the pair might have been able to relate as they worked together during the tournament.
The man who wears the armband when Noble isn’t in the side deserves huge credit for the improvements he has consistently made to his game.
Hammers fans will see him go with a heavy heart if he has to depart, but with the Daily Mail now reporting he will cost £150million, that is no foregone conclusion.
In other West Ham news, West Ham Women pulled out a dramatic injury-time equaliser against Manchester United.
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