Declan Rice has described Mark Noble as like a ‘second dad’ to him such has the West Ham captain’s influence been on his career. Rice has played alongside Noble his entire professional career and has long looked up to the veteran and turned to him for advice along the way. The England international admitted last year that Noble still calls him out when he needs to improve and pushes him to reach greater heights.
Declan Rice said: “Even now to this day he is still on me in training if I do things that are not up to the standard that he thinks I can do it and that is what I want, I want to be pushed and there is probably nobody better who knows this club inside out and has played the games that he has to tell me that.”
The mutual respect between the pair is clear for all to see, Noble recently appeared on Vibe with FIVE where Rio Ferdinand read out a message Rice had sent him about the captain.
Declan Rice said: “He is the best bro. He is like my second dad, it is hard to explain but he is the best and still a top player, top three trainers every day, he never gives the ball away and one of the best passers I have ever seen.”
Noble laughed off the compliment but the esteem Rice holds his skipper in is patently a very high one. Rice is not the only one to have such words on Noble with West Ham manager David Moyes a huge fan of the 34-year-old and the impact he has on Rice.
David Moyes said: “Being captain of West Ham is a big deal, when you look at the great captains at this club over the years, none more so than Mark Noble. There are examples prior to that but I think Mark Noble would still wear the captain’s armband if he was playing in the team and not coming near to retirement. But overall he has a role model to look up to in Mark Noble and we hope that Declan can keep carrying it and improving.”
