MARK NOBLE: The Olympic Stadium move will push West Ham on to the next level... but I want more English lads playing inside

PUBLISHED: 01:45 EST, 25 December 2013 | UPDATED: 08:23 EST, 25 December 2013

mark noble

West Ham United's Mark Noble has lived the dream by playing for his boyhood club throughout his career. The 26-year-old was picked up by the Hammers after being part of Arsenal's youth academy and - apart from two loan spells - has remained at Upton Park ever since. In his debut Footballers' Footballers Column the midfielder describes his route to the top, what the problem is with developing English talent, why the Olympic Stadium is huge for the Hammers and looks back on the moment he was told to pull on the claret and blue for the very first time. 

I’ve been a West Ham fan since I can remember. I was born in that area, Canning Town, so it was the natural team to support. Unless you’re a glory-hunter that’s what you do. All my family and friends were the same and we used to go to the games.

I don’t live far away now and it’s a large West Ham catchment area. There are small perks, you get free drinks every now and again. It’s nice to be appreciated and accepted for what I’ve done for the club. People love a homegrown player don’t they?

I would love to replicate the likes of Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs, Jamie Carragher and Steven Gerrard. They have consistently played hundreds of games for their local club at the top level. That’s fantastic.

But you never know in football. A new manager might come in and change things. I’ve been lucky enough to play under five managers, which is obviously great. But a club could come in with the right bid that the board accept and it’s time to move on.

Boyhood: Mark Noble has always been a West Ham United supporter and first played for the club in 2004

Boyhood: Mark Noble has always been a West Ham United supporter and first played for the club in 2004

   

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My contract runs until 2018, by which point the club will have moved into the Olympic Stadium. I’ve been a few times and it’s unbelievable. I’d love to play for West Ham there.

I never really had any heroes growing up. I used to like watching Paolo Di Canio at West Ham and then Zinedine Zidane internationally, but mainly I just loved playing.

We had a university field at the back of our house and my dad cut a hole in the fence so I could sneak through and play when everyone had gone home.

One of my dad’s mates watched me and told him: ‘You should get Mark in a team, he’s good.’ My dad didn’t want to put pressure on me early doors so I joined a small side called Barking Colts and loved it. You could enjoy your football.

Then I moved to Arsenal’s academy at 11. Arsene Wenger was manager and Liam Brady was head of development. Colin Kazim-Richards and Bradley Johnson were in my year.

But I was always late for training because my dad couldn’t get off work early enough to drive me from where we lived in Beckton to Highbury in time. After a couple of years, West Ham wanted me so I decided to give it a go.

The club have always had a great academy set-up. There was Tony Carr, who is the current director of youth and has brought through the likes of Rio Ferdinand, Frank Lampard, and Michael Carrick, alongside Paul Heffer, the assistant academy director. Kevin Keen, who is now assistant head coach at West Brom, was my youth team manager. Our group of boys were a success.

I was lucky to have good coaches. They got me playing the right way. The system deserves credit because of the type of players West Ham have brought through in the past.

There has been a lot of focus on youth development lately. Greg Dyke has established his FA Commission to explore ways of improving the England team. I have my own views.

Firstly, we need more English players. The more the merrier. The number of those in the top-flight eligible for this country is not high enough.

Secondly, we need to ensure that boys who might develop later physically are not overlooked for strong lads at say, under-12 level, because they can win matches due to their size.

Coaches should not be worried about results at that age. The big boys might get picked because they’re scoring six goals a game and running kids over, while those that are a little bit smaller and don’t have the power perhaps get discounted.

But by the time they all reach 16 everyone catches up. At 12 coaches should just be worrying about how the team is playing and developing kids, rather than beating local rivals 6-0.

Mainstay: Noble has made more than 250 appearances for the club and remains a crucial cog

Mainstay: Noble has made more than 250 appearances for the club and remains a crucial cog

Bradley Johnson
Colin Kazim-Richards

Former teammates: Noble used to play with Bradley Johnson and Colin Kazim-Richards at Arsenal

The Elite Player Performance Plan has come in and that looks like a good idea. My only reservation is the aspect that boys can be taken out of school to be taught at training grounds.

I loved my school and wouldn’t want to change that. I enjoyed the lessons and met my wife there.

It’s a fine line between letting young players be in a classroom with girls and boys and teaching them football in the right way. Hopefully what they’re doing will work in the long run.

I’ve been back to school recently, because I’m doing my coaching badges along with quite a few of the others in the West Ham squad. There is Kevin Nolan, Joe Cole, Stewart Downing, James Collins and more – about 10 of us in total. We thought we’d get them done together and have a bit of banter along the way.

I’ve been playing first team football for West Ham since I was 17 and hold the record for youngest reserve team player too.

On the spot: Noble once nabbed a penalty off Craig Bellamy and has been the designated taker ever since

On the spot: Noble once nabbed a penalty off Craig Bellamy and has been the designated taker ever since

Kevin Nolan
Joe Cole

Looking to the future: Noble is doing his coaching badges with Kevin Nolan and Joe Cole

It was in February 2003 and I was just 15. I was in school having lessons at the time and my PE teacher came in and said: ‘Mark we’ve had West Ham on the phone, you’ve been picked to play in the reserves tonight.’

I was like: ‘Sweet.’ I didn’t know anyone in the changing rooms but there were the likes of Don Hutchinson and Steve Lomas, who had full international caps and hundreds of Premier League games.

The manager put his arm around me and said: ‘He’s playing tonight’. I don’t know whether they were short on numbers or just wanted to blood me early. My kit didn’t even fit me, it was absolutely massive.

My full debut came 18 months later. It was in August 2004 against Southend in the League Cup. My parents were actually on holiday in Cyprus. I rang my dad and told him I was on the bench and he was gutted he wasn’t with me – he’d come to every game before that.

Aid: Anton Ferdinand helped the youngster settle in during when he first broke into the senior side

Aid: Anton Ferdinand helped the youngster settle in during when he first broke into the senior side

At that time Anton Ferdinand would look after me, as would Chris Powell. Teddy Sheringham was still turning out performances every week and he would give me loads of tips. He’d won the Treble at Man United and was good to look up to. Those sorts of players have got so much respect in the game so you listen.

I had first trained with the senior squad in Easter 2003. Di Canio and Michael Carrick were there. But I always thought John Moncur was one of the best trainers. I remember playing an eight v eight on the astroturf and he stood out over everyone.

Unfair: Noble says Michael Carrick is one of the most underrated midfielders in world football

Unfair: Noble says Michael Carrick is one of the most underrated midfielders in world football

For me, Carrick is one of the most underrated midfielders in world football. He hardly ever gives the ball away. When you speak to professional players who’ve played against him, it’s clear he’s one of the best passing midfielders in the country and probably in Europe.

People always ask me about my penalty record but I never really think about it. I don’t have an amazing technique, I just pick my spot and go for it. I have to say I never watched Ray Stewart.

My first was at Birmingham in August 2007. It was late on with the score at 0-0. Craig Bellamy was on the pitch but I said I wanted it. Bellers looked at me and said: ‘You can have it but you better f-ing score.’ I scored and always taken them since then.

Obviously you’ve always got players in the team who think they should be taking penalties. Ravel Morrison always tells me: ‘If you weren’t on penalties, I’m taking them.’ He wants to dink them down the middle.

Rav deserves all the praise he’s getting at the moment. He’s got his off the field stuff right and is a lovely kid. He was a breath of fresh air in pre-season and I just hope he carries it on. He’s got all the ability in the world to do whatever he wants.

It will be tough for him, he’s only 20. He needs to carry on and not let it go to his head. Keep playing until he’s at the best of his ability. Keep level-headed. He’s been looking after himself and eating the right foods and that’s showing on the pitch.

Bright future: Even though only 20, Ravel Morrison has been in blistering form for the Hammers this season

Bright future: Even though only 20, Ravel Morrison has been in blistering form for the Hammers this season

I like to go fishing when not playing football. It’s relaxing. My dad used to take me as a kid but I hadn’t done it for years until this summer, when I went on a family holiday to Boca Grande in Florida.

We fished tarpon from about 10 o’clock at night to five in the morning. It was unbelievable, one of the best experiences ever. You’re on a boat and you have thick rods because some of the fish are so big they take two hours to reel in.

We took my dad one night and he ended up on the deck of the boat unable to move with double tennis elbow he had been fighting the fish so long. It’s just so exciting. If I caught a big, big fish I’d probably frame the picture.

Relax! The midfielder goes fishing in his spare time and took it back up again during the summer

Relax! The midfielder goes fishing in his spare time and took it back up again during the summer

Moving on: Noble believes the Olympic Stadium is a 'much better' stadium than Upton Park

Moving on: Noble believes the Olympic Stadium is a 'much better' stadium than Upton Park

I went to the Olympic Stadium recently as work began to remove the lights and start building the roof. It’s a much better stadium than Upton Park, which has been a great home for us over the past decades. The move is only good for the club, it will push us on to the next level. Once the West Ham colours and badges get stamped on it will be a fantastic place to watch football.

Clubs have to adapt and the board have plans to fill capacity. As long as we do the job on the pitch and play good football the fans will be attracted.

We had a great season last year coming tenth. This campaign has started a bit tough for us, we haven’t picked up as many points as we would have wanted to. Andy Carroll getting injured was a big blow. But we're working hard to get it right, turn the situation around, and push on.

 

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Nice article! But interesting just how many non west ham are on west ham website! Also very interesting that there are so many people who are so small minded and jealous! Let west ham worry about the OS and everything that goes with it!

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Only interesting bit of this story was the angling part. West ham are the most over hyped team In history. Desperatly drab team moving to a lifeless athletics track

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The stadium will be a ''white elephant'' unless the performances on the pitch improve ... whatever West Ham might promote it is not a football ground it's an athletics stadium, a new roof and a few more seats will not change that fact .... should have let Spurs knock it down and build a proper stadium ....

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Be careful what you wish for Hammers. Look at what happened to Coventry when they moved to a stadium they could & would never fill!

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So west hams games will soon look like serieA gameS. WITH UNFILLED SEATs

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I'm Gunner but: I think West ham will lost their Soul. Change a Beautiful Football Ground with a Great History and Tradition against a Beton Monster.

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Mark, to "Play good football" at the Olympic stadium will be great. But the team needs to start at Upton Park first. The tactics that are being used are so out of character for the club, the player, let alone the supporters they are unrecognisable to us. I think we are in this mess because SA has not got a clue how to fix the problem? Injury can be used has an excuse, but other clubs get through them why not West Ham? It's because we lack balance we are overloaded with midfielders, short on defenders and as for strikers, I wont even go there. The only person responsible is the manager. I wonder what the excuse will be if when every one is fit and we still struggle to get out of the relegation zone. Any way Happy New year everyone! Thanks for all the very interesting comments over the past year.

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a step up for the cheats,well they cant get any lower,or can they,ask leyton orient

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First time I'm hearing a stadium change will "push a team to the next level "... Hahahahah

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Such a shame west ham got this stadium. What a wonderful venue it could have been if Tottenhams plans had been fulfilled or if the national stadium could have been located there. The site and facilities are second to none and a proper football stadium on the site would have been a joy to visit.

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