You didn’t have to be a supporter of West Ham or an admirer of their captain, Mark Noble, to find his send-off poignant on Sunday.
The outpouring of emotion, the pomp of the occasion, it said something about the modern game. Noble never won a thing, bar promotion, playing for West Ham. He was the club’s Player of the Year just twice in 18 campaigns. No England caps, one inclusion in the PFA’s team of the season, and that was in the Championship a decade ago. Yet he was loved, revered, idolised. Why? Because he’s a throwback.
The tributes all spoke of him coming from Canning Town, a walk from the old stadium, Upton Park.