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Nobes reveals why kids were allowed to leave

West Ham Sporting Director Mark Noble has explained the permanent exits for Ashby, Longelo, Ekwah and Greenidge declaring that it will see the chances of exciting teenagers at the club succeeding in the future.

His words came ahead of David Moyes revealing that Jamal Baptiste has had a series of problems to overcome whilst adding that some of them were probably brought on by the lad himself.

Apart from that there has been plenty of criticism of the manager for allowing the kids to move on from under 23 level and new sporting director Noble has obviously become keen to put the record straight.

Nobes took over in January and is very much learning the ropes but he has always been outspoken on behalf of the club he loves and his words are well worth listening to and that is certainly the case as far as this issue is concerned.

“You need a five-year plan and to see who is coming through,” Noble said on Fozcast – The Ben Foster Podcast . per NowNews West Ham – Six Foot Two (6foot2.co.uk)

We actually let a few boys go in January, the young boys – well I say young they were like 21/22. Because you need to create a pathway for the 18s (and) the younger 21s because [the under-18s are 13] points clear in their league and they’re in the quarter finals of the FA Youth Cup.

“And we’ve got some real talented players, so they’re our next crop. And I need to see them up close, I need to know them personally and try and get them into our first team.

“The ones we let go were great kids, really good players, but in a way you need to let them go and have a career. Because if they’re not going to play here then (you’re just holding them back).

“For us, to let them go and have a career, there’s all sorts of clauses, we protect ourselves in that. But a player needs to play, needs to go and have games and I don’t want to stop a young player from doing that. So I have sort of taken it personally that the transition from here Chadwell Heath to Rush Green where the first team train, I need to get as many players there as possible.

“And me knowing them personally and training with them as I do, while I’m out there I can give them pointers and talk them through things and it’s priceless for them because I’ve been on that journey, I’ve transitioned from academy to first team. So in my eyes there’s no better person in the world to do that.

“Look sporting director is sometimes labelled as ‘you get players in for the first team’ (and) of course I was at the training ground yesterday looking at players and having my opinion on that but there’s no reason why I can’t do it with the academy as well.”

 

About Hugh5outhon1895

Hugh Southon is a lifelong Iron and the founding editor of ClaretandHugh. He is a national newspaper journalist of many years experience and was Bobby Moore's 'ghost' writer during the great man's lifetime. He describes ClaretandHugh as "the Hammers daily newspaper!" Follow on Twitter @hughsouthon

One comment on “Nobes reveals why kids were allowed to leave

  1. Nobes comments does not match Moyes’ selection today. I’m happy with the squad, but two keepers AND leaving a substitute spot BLANK does not resonate with focusing on the new crop does it?

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