West Ham: Mark Noble has 'key role' with new signings at London Stadium | OneFootball

West Ham United legend Mark Noble will be responsible for ensuring new signings buy into the club’s philosophy when he begins his new role as sporting director at the London Stadium, according to journalist Dean Jones.

The former midfielder announced his retirement from playing after 18 years as a Hammer last season but is now set to return sooner than many may have expected.

What is the latest news on Noble?

This month saw West Ham confirm that the 35-year-old has been appointed as the club’s new sporting director.

In a statement, the club confirmed that Noble would begin his new job on January 2, 2023, after he travelled to America to complete an Entertainment, Media and Sport Business course at Harvard.

Speaking as part of the confirmation, the fan-favourite said he was ‘really happy’ to be returning and that he ‘couldn’t wait to get started’.

His former manager David Moyes also piled on the congratulations, saying he knows Noble will continue to offer ‘fantastic support’ and that there was ‘nobody better qualified’ for such a role.

What has Jones said on the decision?

Jones understands that part of Noble’s new role will be to inform new signings of the philosophy in place at West Ham.

The journalist added that, beyond those duties, the veteran will be able to continue to grow his position as he sees fit.

Jones told GIVEMESPORT: “Nobody knows this club’s philosophy and journey better than Mark Noble and that’s something that the club wants to maintain. They’ve obviously had a couple of very successful years and they don’t want to drop off.

“I think that’s what they’re fearful of. As they’re now having to rebuild the squad and bring in new players, there’s just that concern that the players that come in don’t totally understand how they got to the heights of making it into the Europa League.

“Part of Mark Noble’s job is to make sure that they’re left in no doubt about what it means to play for West Ham. Then beyond that, he can start to build out his role as a sporting director.”

It was a very busy transfer window for the Hammers as eight new faces were brought in and over £160 million was spent.

With seven matches now played in the Premier League this season, the pressure is now growing on the new signings to make an impact.

The Hammers currently sit inside the relegation zone with just four points to their name, losing five of their opening clashes.

Getting those new stars up to speed could now prove a decisive factor this season.