Noble cause for England hopes

A novice member of England's Under-21 squad, Mark Noble only made his first start for the team in Wednesday's 2-2 draw with Italy yet he is already setting his sights on more – helping his country claim a "long overdue" trophy.

Holiday plans
Noble was expecting to spend the fortnight of the finals relaxing on a beach in Mexico. His flights were booked and suitcase packed but then, a matter of hours before his impending departure, he was given a better offer. "I wanted to get away and chill out somewhere," said the 20-year-old Londoner, unable to suppress a smile at the recollection. "I was supposed to go on the day the squad was announced, but I was included so the suitcase got unpacked and I put in the football boots instead of the flip-flops.

'Strong mentality'
"I was delighted, over the moon, and that was just for the [initial squad of] 30. I didn't think I'd get picked in the 23 and then come out here and play against Italy." He did though - his full U21 debut – and impressed alongside West Ham United FC club-mate Nigel Reo-Coker in the heart of the midfield, earning praise from his manager. "Mark played very well," said Stuart Pearce. "The main thing that you need when you step up to international level is a strong mentality, and he has that."

Emergence
That strength of character shone brightly at Upton Park towards the end of last season. Sent out on loan to Ipswich Town FC for the first half of the campaign, he had to wait until March to break into the West Ham side though once there, he was immovable. "I was training hard every day and kept saying 'I want to play, I want to play' and I finally got my chance against Tottenham [Hotspur FC]," he said. His team lost that game 4-3 but then won seven of their remaining nine Premier League games, with Noble an ever-present, in a remarkable escape from relegation.

Serbia test
It was enough to convince Pearce to make that holiday-spoiling phone call and Noble is targeting more heroics at the UEFA European U21 Championship – starting with the match against Serbia in Nijmegen. "We've got to win, full stop," said the England No18, who believes their opponents might look to rest players having already secured their progress as Group B winners. "We've just got to beat whatever is put in front of us and that will mean we're in the semi-finals," he said. "We know what we've got to do."

'Long overdue'
Noble has fond memories of facing this opposition. He was part of the England team that triumphed 3-1 against Serbia and Montenegro in the 2005 UEFA European Under-19 Championship semi-finals, although they subsequently lost the final to France. "[Defeat] was a major blow as that would have been a first major trophy for quite a while for England," he continued. "It's about time we stood up and proved to everyone that we can go all the way. It's long overdue."