West Ham United midfielder Mark Noble has been officially named as the club's new captain following the departure of Kevin Nolan.

The skipper's armband became vacant when Nolan cut ties with the Hammers in August following a four-year spell.

This morning, Noble, who is the club's longest-serving player with 11 years of senior appearances, was announced as captain in a brief ceremony at Chadwell Heath.

"When you are at a massive Barclays Premier League club like West Ham United, playing in the best league in the world, to be captain and be brought up in the same area is something very special for me, for my family and the fans because they can relate to it," Noble wrote in his new match programme column.

"I have stood in for Kevin Nolan in the past and, in my eyes, he has been a top captain for this club. He has brought the dressing room together and done all the stuff on the inside that nobody sees. I've watched Kev and how he dealt with things and I've learned a lot from him and hopefully I can be as good a captain as he was."

The Hammers will take on Newcastle United at Upton Park this evening.