Hammers legend convinced talented midfielder to stay at West Ham
At the start of the summer transfer window, Premier League side Aston Villa were interested in signing West Ham's academy talent Lewis Orford. However, their bid was rejected but Orford was subject to transfer interest from several Premier League teams. In July, when West Ham were involved in negotiations with Aston Villa in order to sign Jhon Duran, the Hammers even offered to include Orford as part of the deal, which wasn't accepted by Unai Emery's side.
However, West Ham realised their mistake and acted quickly to give Orford a new five year contract, so that he stays at the London Stadium. The person who made sure that Orford signed a new contract at West Ham is Hammers legend Mark Noble, who is the sporting director at the club. In his playing career, Noble made 550 appearances for West Ham scoring 62 goals and provided 58 assists playing as a central midfielder.
Hammers legend convinced talented midfielder to stay at West Ham
Noble spent eighteen years at West Ham and even captained the Hammers for seven seasons, becoming a legend at the London Stadium. According to The Athletic, during the Sunshine State Tour, Noble convinced West Ham to give a new contract to Orford, who has been making impressive progress in the U21 teams.
"Mark Noble, the sporting director, and David Sullivan, the majority shareholder, prioritised Orford’s long-term future. Noble spoke to Orford in the United States, with the midfielder having joined the first team on their pre-season tour. Those talks have succeeded."
- The Athletic
This is a great decision by the club which aligns with manager Julen Lopetegui and technical director Tim Steidten's approach towards developing young players. Now, it remains to be seen when the promising midfielder makes his West Ham after showing his high potential in the preseason.
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Meanwhile, West Ham will face Fulham after the international break in the fourth match day of the Premier League aiming to take the three points from the match.
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