West Ham captain Mark Noble is delighted for teammate Josh Cullen over his international breakthrough.

Writing in his weekly column in the London Evening Standard, Noble stated: “I was so pleased, as well, that Josh Cullen, who is on loan at Charlton from West Ham, was man-of-the-match for the Republic of Ireland against Bulgaria.

“Josh has something you can't coach. He has that desire every day to improve, to work hard. He's a talented boy with a big heart and will enjoy a good career in football.

“It just shows you that, if you're prepared to back yourself and go out on loan, rather than staying in the comfort zone, you can do it.

“I remember going out on loan, first to Hull for a month which I didn't enjoy that much – and then to Ipswich, which I loved. I came back from there after three months and I thought 'I'm ready to play now' – and the rest, as they say, is history!"