Mark Noble to take up sporting director role at West Ham

LONDON (AP) - Mark Noble's journey with West Ham is far from over.

Noble - fondly referred to as 'œMr. West Ham'ť after 18 years with the team as a player - will take up a newly created role as the English Premier League club's sporting director from January, West Ham said on Thursday.

The former midfielder, who retired at the end of last season, said he spent the final two years of his career gaining greater knowledge and understanding of the behind-the-scenes work at West Ham.

'œThroughout my playing career, the one thing I strived for more than anything was constant improvement, on and off the pitch,'ť Noble said.

'œThat became even more important to me when I was named club captain in 2015, and the last seven years have given me such great experience and preparation for the next stage of my life and career.'ť

Noble is set to work closely with manager David Moyes and work with the board on aspects such as academy development, player recruitment, and player and staff wellbeing.

West Ham said there will be a particular focus on ensuring players at the club are 'œnurtured in the West Ham United football philosophy and values.'ť

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