Noble buoyed by new additions

30 September 2012 13:06
Mark Noble has admitted the summer arrivals of Andy Carroll and Matt Jarvis helped convince him to sign a new contract at West Ham. Last week saw Noble end speculation about his future by penning a new three-year deal with the Hammers. The 25-year-old had been in the final year of his previous contract, having spent more than a decade at the club he joined as a schoolboy. Noble's time at Upton Park has seen West Ham go through a real rollercoaster of emotions thanks to two relegations, a 'great escape' from the drop, two play-off final triumphs, an FA Cup final and qualification for Europe. Throughout all that time, the Hammers never spent £10million on a player, a fact Noble acknowledged concerned him before the club-record £10.75million summer signing of Jarvis and the arrival on loan of Carroll, who could smash that mark if his move is made permanent. "I remember talking to someone during pre-season and they were saying how big the club is," Noble said. "I know that and everywhere you go in the world there are West Ham fans coming out the woodwork. "Our record signing was only £9million so you have a look at stuff like that and think, 'Is that as big as it should be?' I always questioned that. "But now we have signed Jarvis and brought in Andy Carroll and top players. "To survive in the Premier League that is what you need to do." The midfielder, who helped the club bounce straight back into the top flight following their relegation in 2011, added: "As a professional player, I want to play with the best players possible and stay in this league for as long as possible. "As a West Ham player, I've been through a lot - promotion, relegations and great escapes - so I wanted to make sure that this club was going in the right direction. "The manager and the chairman have made that happen because we've signed some top players and hopefully we continue to do so. "I think it was time for the club to go to the next level and not be in limbo like it was. "We've signed some top players and I think everyone is buzzing. "It's brought a big lift to the club and it's a lot better training out there with top-quality players." Before Carroll joined on transfer deadline day, Noble was being linked with a move to Fulham. "I don't know if I thought that I might be leaving," he said. "Sometimes, with contract negotiations, there can be nit-picking stuff that you're not quite happy with because it was a long-term deal. "If I'd been single and living in a flat on my own, I don't think I would have thought twice about it. "But I've got two young children and a wife so I needed to make sure it wasn't just about me. "Thankfully, we came to an agreement because I love living at home - I'm from around here and I love living in London so it was a no-brainer in the end." Noble was confident West Ham could aim for more than simply survival in the Premier League as they look to cement further their status in the top half of the table tomorrow by beating QPR. The game had looked set to see Noble reunited with a player who decided this summer he could not realise his ambitions at Upton Park, Robert Green. But the goalkeeper's move to Rangers has arguably backfired, with Julio Cesar having taken his place. Noble refused to put the boot in, hailing Green's contribution to West Ham's promotion and insisting the keeper would bounce back. He added: "Some people say the grass is never greener on the other side. "But you don't know, obviously, until you've been on the other side."

Source: team_talk