Mark Noble Bio Send To Friend  

Noble is one of those homegrown players the fans love, a real Academy find who looks set to be a fixture in the West Ham side for years to come.

The player joined the club at the age of 12 and made his debut as a 68th minute replacement for Luke Chadwick in a League Cup tie against Southend United in August 2004.

It would be January before he made his League bow at Wolverhampton Wanderers, thrown in from the start. Although the Hammers lost 4-2, Noble had shown a sign of what was to come.

The energetic midfielder, who prefers to play in the centre, became a fixture in the first team squad, featuring in a further 15 League fixtures - including substitute appearances in each of the play-off matches as the Hammers were promoted to the Premiership.

Noble, a skillful player, also gained more international recognition over the course of the campaign, progressing from the England Under-17 side to become the captain of the Under-18s.

And before the season was out he would make his debut for the Under-19s, and be named in Martin Hunter's squad for the European Under-19 Championships held in Northern Ireland in July 2005.

He told the West Ham website: 'Central midfield is where I think I can really do my best. I'll give my best wherever the gaffer picks me, but centre midfield is always where I've played and it's the position I feel most comfortable in.'

Noble struggled to get a look-in with West Ham in 2005/06 as manager Alan Pardew protected the exciting young player from the limelight. The Hammers' impressive return to the Premiership also meant Pardew stuck by a winning team.

The midfielder had started only four Premiership games, with a further appearance as a sub, when West Ham decided to loan him out to Championship outfit Hull City for the remainder of the season.

In August 2006 Mark signed a three month loan deal with Ipswich Town, during which time he impressed and attracted attention from many Championship sides. However, when Noble returned to West Ham in November, the 19-year-old said he was eager to stay at West Ham and make the break into the first team.

Picking up the Man of the Match award against Brighton in FA Cup, Noble went from strength to strength. In a tough season for the Hammers, Noble was a rare bright spark and was vital in their escape from relegation, scoring in an important win over Bolton.

The overwhelming choice for Young Player of the Year, an award he had already won in the 2004/05 season, Noble also won the club's goal of the season award for his strike against Bolton.

Noble was part of the England squad which performed heroically to reach the semi-finals of the European Under-21 Championships in the summer of 2007.

An excellent prospect, Noble is improving all the time and became a first team regular for the Hammers in 2007/08, starting 26 Premier League matches with a further six appearances from the bench.