East London, UK: Just months after his retirement, former West Ham player, captain, Mr. Mark Noble is all set to return to his former club as its sporting director.
Mr. Mark will start in January in the newly created post at his boyhood club, where he played for 18 years.
As coaching is not a priority at present, Mr. Noble will work with Mr. David Moyes, football manager, and the directors. The 35-year-old will provide input, advice and assistance across West Ham’s football operations, with responsibilities including a focus on player recruitment, development of the academy and player and staff welfare.
Mr. Noble, who traveled to the US last summer to complete an entertainment, media and sports business course at Harvard Business School, observed that “I’m really happy to be coming back and can’t wait to get started, I’d like to thank the club for giving me the opportunity – it’s a great honor for me to take up this role.”
”I’ve spent the last 24 years as a player here, first in the academy and then in the first team, and obviously have a deep knowledge and understanding of the club,” Mr. Noble added.
The former premier league player elaborated that, “The last two years, as my playing days began to naturally wind down, gave me a fantastic opportunity to really spend some time educating myself and gaining greater knowledge and understanding of the work that goes on behind the scenes. This club has made some fantastic strides forward in that period and I am really looking forward to coming back at such an exciting time.”
Commenting on the appointment, West Ham’s co-owner Mr. David Sullivan stated that, “He has been and always will be a part of the fabric of this club. There was never any doubt that he would come back in a senior role in the near future. He is already familiar in every aspect of the organization, he personally knows all of the staff who works here across all departments, and he always puts the club’s best interests at the heart of everything he does. He will help to provide another strong link between the football operation and the wider club, and will continue to be a great asset to West Ham.”