Liam Noble brands former Hartlepool United teammates 'babies' as he blames 'weak' players for costing ex-boss his job

Anyone who has played with him, or even against him, will vouch for that.

Taking the training ground beastings, the dressing-room dressing downs and everything in-between is something Noble is accustomed to. As a footballer it's all he's known.

That's not the case for the new generation of players coming through the ranks.

A different breed of young pro has emerged over the last few years - and it's not something Noble is particularly keen on.

Gone are the days of making the teas for the lads, scrubbing boots and the like. An academy graduate of years gone by would be part-time cleaner, part-time kit man, part-time personal assistant and then a footballer on the side.

In the second-part of our exclusive chat with the former Hartlepool United midfielder, Noble explains what life was really like under Richard Money, as well as Matthew Bates and Craig Hignett - why Ryan Donaldson is a player

Pools should cherish as well as revealing the "babies" who could not hack it when the going got tough at Victoria Park.

"I signed for Batesy, worked under Ged McNamee, had Richard Money and then Higgy - a lot of managers when you're only at a club for 18 months," said Noble.

"I got on with them all, all of them very different in their approach. But the one thing that sticks in my throat is the view of Richard Money.

"For me, he was perfect. But I was in the minority it seems. He was from the 'old school' and I like that.

"He wanted hard work, respect, a regimented regime and would tell players if they did not come up to standards. I am used to that.

“We had that with Kevin Ball, Ged and then Elliott Dickman when we were kids at Sunderland - and, to me, that's the reason we were the best under-16 to under-18 side around. We went unbeaten for nearly two years.

"We went in at 7.30am and didn't leave til 6pm, if we did not do everything right - and I mean the cleaning, tidying, all that, not just the football. That kind of approach breeds a certain kind of footballer - and it is non-existent now.

"Some of the young lads now wouldn't even make a cup of tea, you'd get a mouth full of abuse for even asking. That would never have happened years ago, there was a respect. Richard Money wanted the same kind of approach and it did not wash well with some of the players."

Noble then went on to launch an astonishing attack on the Pools players he played alongside in the 2018-19 season.

"The squad at the time were babies - they didn't like getting a kick up the backside from an 'old school' operator," said Noble.

"I think the fans could see that, too, so it will come as no surprise to them.

"Too many of the players did not like home truths. They were soft, weak. That's not me.

"I think it was those players not playing for the manager who got him the sack."

One player who has always stood side-by-side with Noble is current Pools skipper Donaldson.

The pair grew up together in the west end of Newcastle and played in the same high school team - St Cuthbert's Catholic High in Benwell - despite the boyhood Newcastle United fans attending academies on either side of the Tyne-Wear divide.

Noble is a product of the Sunderland youth system, while Donaldson came up through the ranks at Newcastle's Benton training base, and became a first-team player under Chris Hughton as United romped to the Championship title in 2009-10.

"Anyone who has played with him knows - he is the first player on the teamsheet," said Noble of fellow black and whiter Donaldson.

"I might be biased as he's my mate but I think anyone who is in that Hartlepool dressing-room will be thinking exactly the same thing.

"If the lad is asked to do a job at left-back, right-back, in the middle, up front he will probably still come out as the best player on the park. That's just what he's like.

"That small percentage of fans might give him stick but that happens to every player. They really need to realise what a quality player they have on their hands there.

"Whatever team I play for I give my all for the badge, for the fans. Ryan is a player like that, too."

Noble is now a part-time footballer having left Pools to pursue his career at a much lower level.

Two divisions down the pyramid at Morpeth Town the 28-year-old is still enjoying the game he loves, while combining that with passing on his knowledge to the next generation at Newcastle City Juniors.

"I feel like it was the right time for me to go part-time," said Noble, described by the Northern Premier League outfit as the 'biggest signing in their history'.

"It is hard at the moment with the way things are but I am happy, safe and healthy - and in this current crisis, that's all that matters."