Roshane Thomas, reputable West Ham reporter for The Athletic, has suggested that club captain Mark Noble could leave the Irons at the end of the season.
Speaking on a recent U Irons podcast, Thomas suggested that this season could be the 33-year-old’s ‘farewell tour’.
Affectionately known as ‘Mr West Ham‘, Noble has found himself very much on the periphery this season as the Hammers have made an impressive start to the campaign.
The midfielder has been largely confined to brief appearances at the end of matches and Thomas believes it could be the beginning of the end for the club legend, saying: “That hasn’t been discussed a lot, this could be Mark Noble’s farewell tour, for all we know. This could be his last season at West Ham. He’s going to be 34 at the end of the season and it’s unlikely that he’ll be offered a new deal.”
An exit for the London-born stalwart would bring to an end a 17-year affinity with the Irons in which Noble has amassed 508 appearances.
Despite his many years of top-flight football and having earned 20 caps for England’s under-21s as a youngster, Noble was never awarded full senior international recognition.
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It seems the prognosis doesn’t look good for Noble in terms of extending his stay at the London Stadium.
David Moyes recently intimated that Noble – who will be 34 at the end of the current campaign – would be offered a new deal by the club. However, there has been no movement as of yet, and whilst he continues to not be involved as much as he would like, his future remains very much in the balance.
What remains to be seen is whether the veteran midfielder would find another club or hang up his boots. While early loan spells at Ipswich and Hull mean he can’t be classified as a famed ‘one-club man’, he’s as close as it gets.
Should he move on, whether it be to pastures new or potentially into the coaching staff, Noble will do so as a Hammers hero, seen by many as one of their own and a voice of the fans from within – potentially even statue-worthy for his services.
