West Ham captain Mark Noble says it's crucial the club maintains it's focus on the academy.

Noble has spent his entire career with the Irons.

And he told The Sun: "Very important. People know I'm a West Ham fan and fans can relate to somebody like me. We've produced the likes of Joe Cole, Frank Lampard, Glen Johnson, Rio and Anton Ferdinand. This year, we've had four from the academy come through.

"But it's harder now to get into the first team with the investment in football and foreign players. And we know it's going to get even harder. In the summer every club will spend more money. And English players are very expensive."