West Ham United captain Mark Noble on Tuesday signed a contract extension that will keep him at the London Stadium until the conclusion of the 2021-22 season.
In an open letter to fans, Noble said that the ongoing campaign will be his 18th and final one at the London side. Noble, who has made over 500 appearances for West Ham, has found his first-team chances limited this season with manager David Moyes preferring to deploy Declan Rice and Tomas Soucek in the midfield. Noble has scored 60 goals for West Ham so far.
"I wanted to write this letter to personally tell you that I am delighted to have accepted the opportunity to extend my contract with the Club, until the summer of 2022," Noble said in a letter.
"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.
Joint-Chairmen David Sullivan and David Gold have paid tribute to Noble, the long-serving midfielder and two-time Hammer of the Year, who currently ranks seventh on the club's all-time appearance list and has played in more Premier League games than any other West Ham player.
"Mark epitomises absolutely everything that West Ham United stands for -- he is loyal, committed, honest, ambitious and blessed with a sense of humour -- and that is why he is universally loved by all Hammers," Sullivan and Gold said in a statement.
"We are both thrilled that Mark has signed a new contract and will play on for one final season for the Club he loves. He deserves to spend his final year in a Claret and Blue shirt playing in front of the fans who have been there throughout his career," they added.
( With inputs from ANI )
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