West Ham Sporting Director Mark Noble is very clearly hugely excited by one young player at the club right now.
Mark Noble was appointed as the Sporting Director at West Ham back in January 2023, but his main role seems to be focused around keeping on top of the youth players’ development.
Former West Ham skipper Mark Noble was believed to play a key role in the decision making process behind hiring a new manager at the London Stadium.
Julen Lopetegui got the nod in the end, and the Hammers are now acting like a proper club again, both on and off the pitch.
It was Noble who famously said ‘this club ain’t run like a circus anymore’ back in 2016, and finally eight years later, he’s right!
West Ham are moving in the right direction, and there are a lot of things to be excited about.
Not least, our fantastic academy…
Mark Noble says West Ham have a ‘fantastic’ teenager
Noble never beats around the bush when he rates one of our youngsters – he raved about George Earthy just a few months ago.
However, it was someone else who was lauded by the 37-year-old this time.
He is in close contact with the youth teams, closely monitoring their development throughout the season.
One of our most talented players – Lewis Orford – has received big praise from Nobes. The 18-year-old has just signed a new five-year contract with West Ham.
It has been claimed that Noble and David Sullivan prioritised keeping Lewis Orford at West Ham in the summer, after he nearly left to join Aston Villa.
Noble spoke to WHUFC.com, after the club confirmed that Orford had put pen to paper on the new deal.
He said, “I’ve known Lewis for a long time. I’ve watched him train and play as a kid. He’s a fantastic passer of the ball. And what excites me is that he’s still got so much to learn.
“It’s crucial that we continue to provide the best possible pathways for our young talent. It’s a tradition of the Club. We’ve got such a good crop of talent coming through, and it’s so important that these boys see their future with us.”
Lewis Orford – an undeniable talent
The 18-year-old has the talent and drive needed to go on and become a star for the Hammers in the Premier League.
Orford has incredible technical ability, is cool calm and collected with the ball at his feet and has a wonderful array of passing in his locker.
He is extremely intelligent as well, and his positional sense for someone so young is already right up there where it needs to be.
The talented teenager came on leaps and bounds last season, and he has already trained with the first-team on multiple occasions.
However, breaking into the Hammers’ midfield this season will be extremely tough for him, especially after Carlos Soler joined the club on deadline day.
Lewis Orford will have to really shine for the West Ham under-21s, and impress people like Mark Noble, if he is to have any chance of getting some minutes for the first-team this season.
Then a loan move away from West Ham next season would be good for his development in my opinion, but only to the correct club – a team who likes to play football.
The 18-year-old just needs to bide his time and be patient. Noble, Lopetegui and Sullivan are all clearly big fans of him.
I’m not sure I’ve ever been more convinced that a youth team player will make it for West Ham than I am with Orford.
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