Born in Canning Town, East London in 1987, Mark began his youth career aged 11 with rival side Arsenal, before moving to West Ham in 2000. Having represented England in the U16 and U17 teams, he finally got his senior West Ham break in 2004.

By the end of the decade, he had captained the England U21 side at the 2009 UEFA European U21 Championships, helping guide the team to the final, where they finished runners-up to Germany.

As West Ham’s midfield anchor, Mark’s influence grew with each passing season. His leadership qualities, combined with his remarkable consistency, earned him the captain’s armband in 2015.

His ability to rally the team and maintain composure in critical moments made him an indispensable figure for the club, both during tough Premier League campaigns and pivotal matches like promotion playoffs and relegation battles.

In 2016, he had the honour of being the last player to lead a West Ham team out at Upton Park, the club’s stadium, for 112 years.

Mark Noble | Accolades and Records

Renowned for his skill in taking penalty kicks, Noble was ranked in 2020 as having the second-highest penalty conversion rate globally over the previous 20 years. His impressive 90.5% success rate was surpassed only by Robert Lewandowski, who held a rate of 91.1%.

In 2012 and 2014, Mark won the Hammer of the Year Award and at the end of the 2010s, he was awarded Hammer of the Decade.

In 2016, he was awarded a testimonial match by his club and the freedom of the London Borough of Newham (where West Ham is based) in recognition of his local charity work.

Mark Noble | Autobiography

Boleyn Boy, Mark’s autobiography, was published in 2022. It tells of his remarkable story growing up in the shadow of Upton Park, becoming ‘Mr West Ham’: a one-club man who showed unwavering loyalty. A modern footballing legend, Mark is the embodiment of what it means to be a Hammer, pouring his heart and soul into the club he supported as a boy.

Mark Noble | Charity Work

Mark Noble established the Mark Noble Foundation in 2015. The foundation was set up to focus on supporting various charitable initiatives, particularly in helping underprivileged children and young people through sports, education, and health programs.

Mark has been deeply involved in community work throughout his career, and his foundation reflects his commitment to giving back, especially to the East London community where he grew up.

His desire to give back was shown again in 2020 when he donated £35,000 to help those affected by the Covid pandemic.

Mark Noble | Retirement & Beyond

After 18 years playing for West Ham, Mark retired from playing at the end of the 2021/2022 season. After taking six months out he then returned to the club as Sporting Director in 2023.

Later that year, Mark announced that a director role behind the scenes was not suited to his skillset and that he wanted to be more hands on. In the summer of 2024, a new Academy of Football structure was launched, with Mark taking responsibility as Sporting Director.

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