West Ham skipper Mark Noble has expressed his shock over the departure of academy legend Tony Carr.

Carr, who was responsible for discovering talents like Frank Lampard, Rio Ferdinand, Michael Carrick, Joe Cole, Jermain Defoe and Glen Johnson, was let go by the Hammers for failing to bring through an academy player since 2008.

The 65-year-old had been attached to the club for the last 43 years.

Noble, another discovery of Carr, said: "I first saw it in the papers. It was a shock to me. I don't know what's gone on in the background, I've been in Austria for two weeks solid (on a training camp), but what I can say is I know Tony very well.

"He's a fantastic man, a great servant to the club. As we all know, the players he's brought through in the last 20, 25 years have been phenomenal.

"I'm looking forward to getting back to Tony and seeing how he is. I don't know what's gone on between him and the club. My own personal experiences with Tony have been fantastic. He helped me become the player I am today, he was a big part of that."