The midfielder has been excellent in West Ham’s solid return to the top flight, and having represented England at many youth team levels, he might be finally about to make the senior squad.
Considering how long ago Mark Noble broke into the West Ham team, he made 16 league appearances for them in the Championship in 2004-5, it is remarkable that he is still only 25.
He has only been an established first team player since 2007-8 he and so has accrued a wealth of playing experience at both domestic and international level. Until now his international appearances have been limited to the England youth teams, climaxing with his captaincy of the U21 side, but the midfielder may be in the reckoning for a call up to the senior side if he can maintain to form he has demonstrated at the start of the season.
Noble has been the fulcrum in Allardyce’s midfield, he has completed 87.3% of his 330 passes in the first five games, and provided a mobile screen in front of the back four where he has won 61.1% of his 36 tackles.
That is the second most tackles of any midfielder in the league, only two behind Mikel Arteta, who has played one more match. He has also contributed in the attacking third, creating a chance for his side every 39.2 minutes.
His ease at stepping back up to the Premiership demonstrates the amount of experience he has already gained in his short career, and there is little suggest he would be overawed by the pressure of an international call up.
Noble may well suffer the common problem of being at an unfashionable club, I have a sneaking suspicion that were he at, for example, Liverpool, he may already have figured in the England senior set up.
Being a major part of a West Ham team should make him more likely to get called up than being a bit part player at a top six/seven team, but this is a frustration about the national team that is unlikely to change soon.
Noble will need to hope either that Hodgson is prepared to try some new players who are on form, or that there is an injury crisis that strikes down the several men competing with him for the centre midfield slots.
England are in a period of transition at the moment, there are older players who may not make it to Brazil in 2014. At the start of a World Cup Qualifying campaign they should progress through fairly comfortably, it could be time to look at players like Noble, who are in form for their clubs, and at of an age that will allow them to contribute for a few years yet.
image: © wonker
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