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Why West Ham’s Mark Noble is So Important to the Club, and the Fans

ByScott Johnson|
LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 10: Mark Noble of West Ham United celebrates as Michail Antonio of West Ham United scores their second and equalising goal during the Barclays Premier League match between West Ham United and Manchester United at the Boleyn Ground on May 10, 2016 in London, England. West Ham United are playing their last ever home match at the Boleyn Ground after their 112 year stay at the stadium. The Hammers will move to the Olympic Stadium for the 2016-17 season. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)
LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 10: Mark Noble of West Ham United celebrates as Michail Antonio of West Ham United scores their second and equalising goal during the Barclays Premier League match between West Ham United and Manchester United at the Boleyn Ground on May 10, 2016 in London, England. West Ham United are playing their last ever home match at the Boleyn Ground after their 112 year stay at the stadium. The Hammers will move to the Olympic Stadium for the 2016-17 season. (Photo by Julian Finney/Getty Images)

In modern football you very rarely get true one club men. Players that started out at the club and seem to embody all that is good about the team, which is why West Ham are so lucky to have Mark Noble.

Noble was born and raised in Canning Town, only 2 miles from Upton Park stadium where, up until the end of last season, West Ham played their home games.

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He is hugely popular among the fans and is often the voice of reason whenever there is a dispute between the fans and board, as he is seen as the fans’ voice on the inside. “If Noble is happy with what’s going on then we should be too,” seems to be the logic, as if he wasn’t playing there is n doubt Noble would be in the stands week in, week out.

For that reason it’s great to see him on the pitch as well, here’s a West Ham fan come good and it inspires young fans to believe that one day it could be their turn to lead the Claret and Blue army down the tunnel at a home match. It gives them something to truly believe in.

His attitude is unwavering, he is one of the few professional footballers who doesn’t seem to have matches he is up for or not bothered about, all he thinks about is bringing happiness to the fans in every game and you can see it in his work rate he’s never satisfied. He’s willing to fight for his teammates as we saw last week, but not afraid to get into them if he thinks they’re not pulling their weight.

Last year he was also fantastic with the ball at his feet too putting in what, in my mind anyway, was a good enough season to get an England call up. Whether you’d have him in the starting eleven is another matter and not one I’m going to get into here, but he out performed Henderson last season and certainly deserved to be in the provisional squad above Willsher and Delph given how little they played. Drinkwater and Noble would have been my picks to go over Henderson and Wilshere.

Next: West Ham Play First Match of the season

He’s invaluable to the club in the leadership and experience he brings, and he brings more value to the club even as we improve as a member of the squad than any club will surely be willing to pay for him in the years to come.

If he ever leaves the club, it will be a sad day for all involved.