Mark Noble: ‘I’d be divorced’ if I transferred to China

From Diego Costa to Wayne Rooney to now Andy Carroll (weirdly), speculation about Premier League players taking a last minute decision to move to the Chinese Super League has been in effect for weeks now. But one player definitely not apart of that endless discussion before China’s transfer window closes on Tuesday is Mark Noble.

The West Ham United captain humorously denied that he would have any hopes or ambitions to play in the now 13-year-old AFC competition in a recent interview with Talksport’s Ian “Moose” Abrahams.

“I’d probably be divorced and end up living on me own!” a candid Noble said. “At the end of the day I got two young children in school and they do say, ‘A happy wife, a happy life.”

Noble did acknowledge how his sport nowadays can be very capricious, with sudden career changes potentially mere moments away for any player. But the 29-year-old reiterated his desire to remain a Hammer for life, even after his playing career.

“Football does shock you,” he said. “I would like to be at this club for a long time to come. Whether that’s just playing, or over the next year or so, I would like to get involved in the academy and see the young players come through. I speak to Terry Wesley a lot and try and get to see as many young players as I can.”

“Because at the end of the day, I’ve been through the situation and coming up as a youngster from a 10-year-old to now. So if there is any questions, or any guidance that any of these young players need, I’m probably the most qualified to answer their questions.”