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Football London
Football London
Sport
Sam Inkersole

West Ham captain Mark Noble makes surprising penalty revelation despite superb record

Mark Noble has scored 22 of his last 24 penalties for West Ham and whenever his team gets on, if he's on the pitch, then it is a guarantee the skipper is going to take it.

Across his Premier League career, Noble has scored from 12 yards 25 times, more than half of his 43 career goals have come from the spot.

But the skipper has revealed he never practices penalty kicks in training despite his superb record from the spot.

Writing in the matchday programme ahead of West Ham's Premier League clash with Watford at London Stadium on Saturday afternoon, the captain said: "What I will say is that I never practice penalties - never, ever.

"If my team gets a penalty in training, I won't take it. That approach works for me.

"To be honest - and perhaps this may be surprising - I feel a lot more relaxed and confident taking one in a game than in training.

West Ham captain Mark Noble (Arfa Griffiths/West Ham United FC via Getty Images)

"My success rate is 35 from 39, which isn't bad. On the law of averages, one day the opposition keeper will go the right way and save it - but I'll be up for taking the next one, don't worry about that."

His last successful spot kick came just a week ago when he netted from 12 yards in the third minute to put the Hammers ahead against Watford. The visitors were pegged back by Andre Gray's equaliser but a brace from club-record signing Sebastien Haller earned West Ham a fine 3-1 win at Vicarage Road.

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