James Tomkins returns to West Ham United on Saturday with Crystal Palace but he should never have left in the first place.
Nobes and Tomka were something of a rarity
“I was gutted when James left us,” Noble told The Evening Standard.
‘I was gutted’
“He probably wanted to go but I thought, maybe, Slaven Bilic should have been a bit more stubborn.
“You don’t hear a lot about him because he goes about his work quietly but he is an underrated player. It’s always ideal if you can keep your home-grown players and we are still good friends but that’s football.”
Tomkins wasted little time endearing himself to Palace fans on his arrival at Selhurst Park.
New era but Tomkins not forgotten
The centre back is a mainstay of Roy Hodgson’s side and pops up with the odd vital goal too.
After a woeful couple of years defensively West Ham finally look to have got on top of their issues at the back.
New star Issa Diop has forged a solid partnership with fellow summer signing Fabian Balbuena.
One thing is for sure Tomka is certain of a warm welcome from the Hammers faithful on Saturday afternoon.
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