West Ham captain Mark Noble has confirmed that he will leave the Hammers at the end of next season. The 33-year-old has signed a one-year contract extension but he has made the tough decision to call it a day in 2022.
The midfielder hasn’t actually played that much this campaign but Noble is not prepared to end his 21-year association with the Hammers when games are still being played behind closed doors. He wants to say goodbye properly.
As expected, supporters on Twitter are very emotional about the news, with everyone paying tribute to a player who is simply known as “Mr West Ham”:
I’m actually tearing up stop it I can’t bare the thought of West Ham without Mark Noble
— JC (@_thejacobc_) March 9, 2021
west ham through and through, club legend thats all there is to it
— ’ (@whuraffa) March 9, 2021
— Jamie Penfold ⚒ (@geordiehammer77) March 9, 2021
i am so not ready for this day
— eloise ? (@whuweez_x) March 9, 2021
I’m not crying, you are ?
— Sam Church (@Sammy_dodgerx) March 9, 2021
Great. Now I’m crying
— Abs Singh (@Abs_Singh_1) March 9, 2021
Captain, Leader, legend @Noble16Mark ⚒️⚒️⚒️
— Char (@CharlieBrain96) March 9, 2021
Please offer him a role in the backroom staff or a coaching role at the end of next season, then eventually he can go and get some manager jobs under his belt and hopefully one day come back as a manager r
— ?? (@whukyle) March 9, 2021
Thankyou for everything skipper… Its been a pleasure watching you grow and lead us over the years.. Always gave your all through the good and bad times.. Mr West Ham… #COYI ⚒️
— STONIE (@whutel) March 9, 2021
It seems like the right decision from Noble. At 33, he isn’t able to give the team what he used to, and the fact that he has only started three league matches this season shows he isn’t as important as he once was.
However, he is still the leader in the squad and supporters will be delighted to be able to have a chance to say goodbye to him.