Leading by example keeps Hammers captain Mark Noble working hard and he remains confident things will get better for him and the Irons.
Nobes has struggled to find consistency since the Hammers move to the London Stadium, and the maiden season may not have panned out as fans had hoped, but quiet determination is the name of the game for the skipper.
“I’ve always tried to lead by example, as in play at 100 per cent and give everything,” he said in an interview for Blowing Bubbles Monthly.
But ranting and raving isn’t his way, even when the team is not performing as he would like and returning the results the fans crave.
“When you play with the boys there are some characters that you couldn’t have a go at during half time because they’d go into a shell. Everyone’s got feelings and sometimes, especially me, you can’t help showing them.”
Just turning-up is never an option for the long-serving local boy from Canning Town.
For many years West Ham fans scratched their heads as Noble was overlooked for full international honours, despite the likes of Danny Drinkwater and Tom Cleverley getting call-ups – yet Noble did have the chance to play international football with the Republic of Ireland as his grandparents are Irish and the team has come calling.
“I love Irish people and half my family are Irish but for me personally I always dreamed of playing for England.”
Read more of the in-depth interview with the man has made more than 400 appearances for the Irons and get your copy of Blowing Bubbles’ April issue here > www.blowing-bubbles.co.uk/read-our-latest-issue.html
Also in the latest edition George Parris says players must forget about the newspaper headlines over the HMRC raids.
“What I hope is that the players keep their focus on what they are doing on the pitch and haven’t spent too much time worrying about what’s happened off it,” he wrote in his exclusive column for Blowing Bubbles Monthly.
The Hammers hero also speculates about the outcome of the Hammer of the Year – will it be Antonio or Lanzini, or is there someone else who should take the honour?
The popular monthly magazine also looks back at the great escape of 10 years agov after relegation was a safe bet in March and the Hammers propped-up the table ten points away from safety.
Fans will always adore Carlos Tevez for his goal that secured victory against the champions and ensured Premiership safety, but Mark Noble got better and better as the going got tougher for the Hammers and he was the unsung hero of the piece.
If you hear that distinctive piece of film theme tune blasting from the speakers and picture Tevez on the bike heading for the fence, remember it was Noble riding pillion.
Read Blowing Bubbles Monthly’s May issue here > www.blowing-bubbles.co.uk/read-ourlatest-issue.html
