An emotional Mark Noble bid farewell to West Ham fans he called “family” after his final home match on Sunday, telling them: “I hope I’ve made you proud”.
Noble came on as a substitute in the 2-2 draw with Manchester City at the London Stadium, the Hammers’ last home game of the season.
It was the midfielder’s 549th appearance of a phenomenal 18-year career at the club, and while he could yet make that 550 at Brighton on the final day, this was a last opportunity for the Hammers faithful to pay tribute at their own ground.
A giant banner bearing Noble’s name and shirt number 16 lay on the pitch ahead of kick-off, while a fan mosaic greeted the players’ emergence ahead of kick-off.
Noble was introduced on his own prior to kick-off and then given a guard of honour by teammates, staff and their families after full-time, before being presented with a commemorative framed shirt.
“A little bit better after that performance, let me tell ya,” Noble said, when asked how he was feeling after playing in front of a home crowd for the final time.
“It’s an incredibly emotional day for myself and my family. I’ve got a lot of family here today and when I say a lot of family, I mean 60,000.
“All I can say is that I hope in the last 18 years I’ve done you proud.”
