Brilliant stat proves Roy Hodgson was wrong to leave West Ham star at home

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A new stat has proved Roy Hodgson was wrong to ignore West Ham United star.

Manchester United’s Wayne Rooney in action with West Ham’s Mark Noble

Mark Noble is loving life as his beloved club’s skipper under Slaven Bilic and had a superb season in the claret and blue.

The Hammers midfielder was one of the star’s of West Ham’s best ever Premier League season in terms of points and goal difference.

The midfielder played to a capacity 35,000 crowd in his testimonial back in March having given more than 10 years of loyal service in East London.

The 29-year-old midfielder has spent his entire career with the club having progressed through their youth system and into the first-team set-up.

England manager Roy Hodgson

Finest season should have been rewarded on international scene

But last season was far and away his finest in a West Ham shirt.

There was clamour all season long for the battling and creative midfielder to be given a chance by England boss Hodgson.

His sterling and consistent performances really put the former Fulham boss under pressure every time he chose an England squad leading up to the final selection ahead of Euro 2016.

But the call never came.

Newcastle United’s Henri Saivet in action with West Ham’s Mark Noble

Stat’s embarrassing Roy

Now a new stat has proved why Hodgson was wrong to ignore the Canning Town-born star and leave him at home while the Three Lions toil in France.

The stat says Noble has won possession in the middle third of the pitch more times (411) than any other player in the last three Premier League seasons.

Instead Hodgson has opted to use Wayne Rooney playing central midfield meaning the Manchester United star has had to do a lot of tracking back and using his energy at the wrong end of the pitch.

West Ham’s Mark Noble scores their third goal from the penalty spot

Hodgson could pay the penalty for snub

But had Hodgson drafted in Noble alongside him England would undoubtedly benefit from winning more of the ball in the engine room and his presence would also free up the likes of Rooney to do what they do best.

And if, as it inevitably will, an England match goes to face a penalty shootout, Noble could be one of the first names on the list as he had the best penalty conversion rate in Europe last season too.