Mark Noble says he feels ready for his new job as West Ham United sporting director.
The former Hammers captain will take up the role in January.
He told the London Evening Standard: “I'm ready.
“Obviously, I'm going to learn on the job, but I know the club probably better than anyone. It's also something I had been thinking about doing for some time and I'm incredibly grateful for the opportunity.
“I studied at Harvard on a business, entertainment, media and sports course earlier this year. My tutor there, Anita Elberse, is the Professor of Administration and has had some top people from around the world on the course.
“People from different industries have taken part: actors, sports stars, CEOs of social media companies. It was an absolute eye-opener to the way these people think.
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“They sent me 15 case studies about a month before I went on subjects as varied as Paris Saint-Germain, Facebook, basketball star LeBron James, unique digital identifiers called NFT's and Jay-Z, the rapper. It's all about what the course calls 'The Blockbuster' model of Go Big or Go Home.
“In my group there was Linda Henry, the wife of John, whose Fenway Sports Group owns Liverpool, and we spoke at length about the Premier League. She is the CEO of Boston Globe Media. It was a real learning curve about the way executives of big companies do things. Football is such a global brand and you have to take advantage of that."
Noble's remit will become clearer over time, but he says he is ready for hard choices.
“There will be difficult decisions at times and now I'll be thinking about contracts and recruitment, which is an entirely different kettle of fish, but after a long playing career, this is what I want to do," he says. “When I start, the transfer window will be open and, for me, it will be a case of looking, listening and learning how it works.
“I'll speak to players who we are considering bringing in and, most importantly, I'll be honest when giving an opinion on how we should do things. I will also have an impact on the academy, because I've come through that system, and now my son, Lenny, is there.
“I won't be going in with all guns blazing, because I see this as a long-term project where I can make this position my own and set out an ethos and structure for this club."
