Most of us would accept he will need to fight for his place this season and a starting place is far from guaranteed for Barking-born lad.
Winston Reid took the captain’s armband on Monday night against Huddersfield but today we ask who should be West Ham’s new captain if Noble is regularly absent?
<a href=”http://polldaddy.com/poll/9829819/”>Who should be the next West Ham captain?</a>