Speaking on the Hammers’ official website, club captain Mark Noble has revealed how to kept his hernia a secret in order to keep playing before the club were mathematically safe last season.
While his season was ended early due to surgery, Noble stated he knew as early as February of his abdominal hernia but continued to play regardless.
“I knew I had the hernias February time and me and the physios took it on ourselves not to say anything until the club was safe.
“It kept getting worse and worse and I went to see the surgeon before the Spurs game and he said ‘it’s urgent now, you need to have an operation.'” said the 30-year-old, before adding: “Then we beat Spurs and were mathematically safe so it all worked out well.”
Noble has been with the Hammers his whole career after graduating through the clubs academy in 2004, with his only time spent away from the club being in brief loan-spells at both Hull City and Ipswich Town – both in 2006.
Known as ‘Mr. West Ham’, the former England U-21 international has made a club record 347 Premier League appearances and has twice been named as ‘Hammer of the Year’.
