Thursday 24 March 2016 16:06, UK
West Ham captain Mark Noble insists he will not give up on playing for England, despite being left out Roy Hodgson's latest squad.
The England boss did not include midfielder Noble in his 23-man squad for the friendly double-header with Germany and the Netherlands, despite his consistent form for the Hammers.
Noble, who was capped 20 times for England's U21s, told Sky Sports News HQ he accepts he is unlikely to force his way into Hodgson's plans for this summer's European Championship finals but will continue to battle for a future call.
"I don't give up, for sure. For the Euros, probably - yes, actually - but for England, I don't give up," said Noble.
"It's not just about me, it's about a lot of very, very good players - top players - who have got a tournament to go and win in the summer."
Speaking on Sky Sports Now, former West Ham defender Tony Gale said Noble would have been a good addition to the national set-up.
"What could he have brought to the England squad? He's got a calmness about him," said Gale.
"He's a great passer of the ball and he's added to the repertoire with a couple of spectacular goals. He takes all the penalties for West Ham, and he cares. That rubs off on all the other players."
Noble is also eligible to play for the Republic of Ireland, by virtue of his Cork-born grandparents. He has refused to rule out playing for Ireland in the past, but former England defender Andy Hinchcliffe believes Noble still has his heart set on England.
"There comes a point when you're not getting an England call, maybe you think you want to play international football - maybe he would have decided by now if he wanted to play for Ireland.
"He seems to still think there's a possibility he could play for England. Certainly in future tournaments - look at the squad they picked with Danny Drinkwater and Jordan Henderson there - why not Mark Noble?"
Instead, Noble will celebrate nearly 12 years in the West Ham first-team with his testimonial on Monday against a Hammers All-Stars XI and is looking forward to seeing some legends back at the Boleyn Ground.
"Paolo Di Canio, Rio Ferdinand and Scotty Parker are coming back, and some really good friends of mine. I've also got my best mate from when were kids to play 20 minutes, so that's going to be great," added Noble.
"To be able to play a testimonial in a season like this, in our last season at the Boleyn Ground is pretty special."
The testimonial is raising money for Richard House Children's Hospital, Help for Heroes and the DT38 Foundation.
