Declan Rice has credited Mark Noble with being one of the main reasons he made the grade as a professional footballer.
Rice joined West Ham after time with Chelsea as a schoolboy and he has gone on to prove how wrong the Blues were to let him go.
By the age of 16, Rice was a regular in the first-team training sessions before making his Hammers debut on the final day of the 2016-2017 season as an 18-year-old.
The following season Rice began to establish himself in the team, his versatility a key asset as he spent half his games in central defence and half alongside Noble in midfield.
The duo are now the club's captain and vice-captain and Rice has hailed the impact Noble has had on his career:
"I have been training with him since I was 16, I am 22 now so he has seen the full development of me," Rice said on The 2 Robbies podcast.
"I have to say he is probably one of the main reasons I am still around in the first-team, even now to this day he is still on me in training if I do things that are not up to the standard that he thinks I can do it and that is what I want, I want to be pushed and there is probably nobody better who knows this club inside out and has played the games that he has to tell me that."
Rice suffered a knee injury on England duty and was absent from West Ham's 3-2 win on Monday night against Wolves, with Noble stepping up and starting just his fifth league game this season.
With the England international expected to be out for at least another three matches, the captain will be a vital part of David Moyes' team and his experience is something Rice regards as vital.
"To have the captaincy is special, to be taking the armband off him when he does not play, and then obviously when he plays he takes it, but the experience he gives you the confidence he gives you he just lets you go you there and do your thing, there is nobody better to have around than Mark Noble," Rice said.
Noble's leadership and calming nature on Monday evening was a big part of the reason West Ham were able to see out the victory against Wolves. But the veteran midfielder also had a huge impact in terms of his ability on the ball and in breaking up the play.
Of all the West Ham players on the pitch at Molineux, Noble attempted and completed more passes and he made the most tackles and interceptions in the team.
Leadership and experience help but Noble being able to get out on the pitch and prove he can still lead by example is vital if West Ham are to maintain their Champions League challenge in the absence of Rice.
