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West Ham United: Irons could sign Lewis O’Brien to replace Mark Noble
Noel Whelan has claimed that West Ham could sign Huddersfield Town midfielder Lewis O’Brien as a replacement for Mark Noble, who is retiring at the end of the season.
The Lowdown: Noble’s illustrious West Ham career
The lifelong Hammer and club captain is set to retire from professional football upon the expiry of his contract at the end of the season.
Noble graduated from the Irons academy in 2004 and after loan moves at Hull City and Ipswich Town, he has remained with the east Londoners ever since. The 34-year-old is West Ham’s leading appearance-maker during the Premier League era, having amassed 407 top-flight games for the club.
The Latest: West Ham eyeing O’Brien
As per a report from TEAMtalk in recent days, West Ham have joined the race to sign Huddersfield’s O’Brien. Football Insider revealed back in October that the midfielder has a £10m release clause in his contract at the Championship club.
Whelan, who regularly appears on BBC Radio Leeds, has claimed that the 23-year-old could fill the void left by Noble.
Speaking to Football Insider in response to questions over whether O’Brien can replace the Irons skipper, the former Leeds striker said: “Yeah, absolutely. I think a lot of clubs have been keeping tabs on him. I think when somebody retires, that shirt becomes available and that gap in the squad becomes available.
“It wouldn’t surprise me. David Moyes has often dipped into the Championship. He’s not been afraid of going there, getting a player, believing that he can deal with the Premier League demands and that he can turn him into a better player.
“He has done it now on many occasions. A manager that has already proven to improve a team, improve players individually and integrate them into a squad.
“That is now turning into a good relationship between all players. They’re all fighting, all singing off the same hymn sheet. It is about character, not just talent, when you’re trying to group together a winning team.”
The Verdict: Strong replacement for Noble
Huddersfield’s head coach Carlos Corberan could not speak more highly of his team’s captain, who he insists is a “very special” talent.
Former Terriers boss Danny Cowley has praised O’Brien as being “like having two players”, with the midfielder often receiving praise for his ability to rush back and win the ball when the opposition are on the counter-attack. This is exemplified by his average of 2.5 tackles per league game, which puts him above any other Huddersfield player by some distance (via WhoScored).
With a similar profile to Noble, this transfer could be a no-brainer for David Moyes, who is looking for a young player as a replacement for the skipper.
In other news: Irons eyeing move for 6 foot 5 Championship beast
