Mark Noble admitted it was a “sad day” after West Ham teammate James Tomkins sealed a £10m switch to Crystal Palace.

Noble is currently the longest serving player at West Ham and had been at the club with Tomkins for 16 years.

The pair have made more than 500 league appearances for the Hammers between them and Noble admitted he was sad to see the defender leave.

Meanwhile, Tomkins, 27, insisted he was delighted to join Crystal Palace, saying: "I am really excited to be joining Crystal Palace, a massive club and a manager in Alan Pardew that I know well.

"I will always be thankful for how he helped me develop in my younger days at Upton Park."

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