West Ham's Mark Noble not banking on England call from Sam Allardyce
Thursday 28 July 2016 12:53, UK
Mark Noble insists he is focused only on playing football rather than trying to get into the England squad under new manager Sam Allardyce.
The West Ham captain expressed his extreme disappointment at not being given a chance to prove himself at international level by Roy Hodgson in the lead up to Euro 2016.
Allardyce was among those stating Noble's case for England recognition during his four years in charge at Upton Park but the midfielder says he is not banking on a call-up now his former boss is in charge.
"I'm just concentrating on football - I have since I've started playing," said Noble, who was capped 20 times at U21 level between 2007 and 2009.
"Obviously last year I was disappointed, I'm not going to lie to you. I enjoyed a fantastic season with West Ham... not only just me - the likes of Cress [Aaron Cresswell] was one of the best left-backs in the league for sure.
"There was a lot of shout about Michail Antonio and big Andy Carroll as a difference up there, which I thought we needed at points in the Euros but I'm just going to concentrate on football."
Whether Noble forces his way into the England squad or not, the 29-year-old is certain the national team is in good hands.
"Obviously I worked under Sam for a long time," he added. "I know the way he works, he's a very good man.
"Do I think England made the right choice? Yes, because he knows how to sort stuff out in a way. He's a great man-manager, he knows how to get the best out of his players.
"I think with England, they've gone with someone that knows English players, knows the English league and has a good relationship with the FA. They've called upon him to sort it out."
