MARK NOBLE may have retired, but West Ham's former captain turned sporting director is not about to hang up his boots just yet.
Noble took up his new role on January 3, and has spent the first month in the job "learning the ropes", including immersing himself in the club's academy.
"I still put my boots on and train with the Under-18s and the U-21s, because you only know first-hand what they're like when you're training with them," Noble tells Standard Sport.
"It's great, because I get to see them first-hand, and I'm probably the best person in the world for them to ask questions about what it's like to break into the first team."
Noble admits he also needs to maintain his football fix, after 18 years as a professional with the Hammers, before calling it a day in the summer.
"You're bang on, of course," he says. "It's great for me, too, because I get to keep fit and play football.
"But if you're asking do I miss the pressure of playing in the Premier League, I don't really. I cared so much about how we got on, the anxiety of winning every week took over the joy of actually winning.
"Say we'd beaten Manchester United, for instance, you get in the dressing room and you're buzzing. But within 20 minutes, that buzz has worn off and you think, 'We've got to win next Saturday now"."
Noble made 550 appearances for his boyhood club, and his remarkable service to West Ham has been recognised by the London Football Awards. He is speaking after winning the gong for Outstanding Contribution to London Football, which he will receive at Camden's Roundhouse on March 13.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة February 07, 2023 من Evening Standard.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة February 07, 2023 من Evening Standard.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 9,000 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
Don't Want Botox? Then Try These Alternatives
From microcurrents to lasers, there are other ways to tackle ageing skin, says Madeleine Spencer
It's high time the Borthwick regime delivers on promise
England boss needs a statement win and the All Blacks are up first
Bukayo Saka
The making of a London icon
Even Ridley Scott thinks our big screens are epic
Outernet is now one of London's top attractions --but the man behind it isn't resting on his laurels
Laura Bailey on why Margate is her favourite escape in the UK
Incredible light, sea air, galleries galore and only two hours from Victoria: it's the model and photographer's dreamland...
The Old Operating Theatre
St Thomas Street, SE1
Can drugs like Ozempic really help to getthe economy firing again?
Labour's plan to give the unemployed weight-loss jabs may have unintended consequences, reports William Hosie
AI is the new frontier of perfumery...But just how fragrantare these scents?
Choosing a signature scent is a highly personal experience. Not only do preferences differ greatly, but certain perfumes react differently depending on your skin. Bergamot top notes may be intoxicating on one person's wrist, but seem soapy on another.
Is it time to ditch the apps and embrace the science of love at first sight?
The chemistry of love isn't just a romantic ideal - it's a scientific reality, discovers
A poetic puzzlebox
This lyrical novel sets out to dazzle and terrify