Mark Noble announces decision to leave West Ham in 2022

West Ham captain Mark Noble has signed a new one-year contract extension but has confirmed that next season will be his last with the Hammers.

Noble made his first-team in 2005 at the age of 17 and became a regular in 2007. He has captained the club since 2015 and has played 520 games in all competitions, which puts him seventh in the all-time appearance list – ahead of Geoff Hurst and Steve Potts.

The 33-year-old has largely been phased out of an improving Hammers side this season and has said that his specific motivation to stay for one more year is so that he can play at the London Stadium in front of fans before he leaves the club.

“I am delighted to have accepted the opportunity to extend my contract with the club, until the summer of 2022,” Noble wrote in an open letter to West Ham fans.

“I have also decided, after much consideration, that the 2021/22 season will be my 18th and final one as a first-team player at West Ham United. It is a decision I have made following a lot of discussion with my family, my friends and people at the football club.

“I’ve also had conversations with the manager and it’s clear that he and the club want to build something and continue to take the football club forward in a positive way – a way I fully believe in – while my desire to keep pushing the ethos and values of West Ham United, especially to our new signings and young players coming through our Academy, is as strong as ever.”

He added: “Walking out at London Stadium in front of 60,000 people, listening to Bubbles ringing out and the roar when it stops just before kick-off – there is nothing quite like it.

“It’s also another part of the reason I have signed the contract extension. The thought of finishing my career playing for West Ham in empty stadiums is something I can’t comprehend and the recent positive news means we hope to have [fans] alongside us again before this season is out.”

Noble said that he is currently unsure what his next step will be when he does leave West Ham in June 2022. He will have recently turned 35 by the time his contract expires and he could choose to retire or extend his career by finding a new club.

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