Sporting Director Mark Noble pleased with the academy players on USA pre-season tour.

This summer marked Mark Noble’s fourth trip stateside as a West Ham United player or staff member as they faced Manchester United in New Jersey, Everton in Chicago, Illinois, and AFC Bournemouth in Atlanta as part of the Premier League Summer Series.

Our former captain was delighted with the trip as the squad head back to London to prepare for the final pre-season match against Lille on Saturday. He said:  “It’s actually been really good, we’ve had three really good games.

“Obviously it’s pre-season so you can’t take nothing out of that [result-wise], but you start looking at the fitness and obviously it’s great to see the young boys here with us. Preston Fearon has come on, Airidas Golambeckis has been here the whole time and Freddie Potts, Kaelan Casey, Lewis Orford and Oli Scarles, they’re all here, so that’s fantastic to see them out here and just see the boys sort of having a good time together. I know our important team spirit is going into the season with the staff, obviously it’s been a really good trip.

“…I’m here to support the manager and the Club and our young players because I think we’ve got some really special ones, so it’s fantastic to see them out there. It’s fantastic to be here, [but it’s time to go] home now and obviously getting ready for the season because it’s going to be a real tough season.”

Nobes himself knows how difficult it is to make the jump from academy to the first team, while some of the youngsters listed have already had first-team minutes or have gone on loan, apart from Scarles they are yet to establish themselves, so they have a lot to prove.

“They’ve got enough pressure as it is. To perform at this level is so hard, so we want them to enjoy the football, we want them to train with some of the best players in the world, because that’s what someone like Lucas Paqueta is, and learn from that and then hopefully they become West Ham players. I was there as a 17, 18-year-old once so why can’t they go and do it?”