Mark Noble snubs Lampard and Gerrard for Blackburn hero in his all-time Premier League XI

We’re starting to think Premier League players just have no idea how football works.

There’s Willian’s dream five-a-side team without a goalkeeper, of course, as well as Jesus Navas rating Fredi Kanoute above Messi and Ronaldo.

But Mark Noble may have gone one step further with one particularly creative choice in his Premier League all-time XI.

The West Ham captain has left Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard out of the three-man midfield he selected for Sky Sports, with Luka Modric and Paul Scholes taking two of the places.

As for the third member of the midfield, has he gone for Premier League winner Claude Makelele? How about one of his West Ham predecessors like Joe Cole or Michael Carrick as a sentimental choice?

Nope, not even close. Noble opted for former Blackburn and Turkey midfielder Tugay – a great player, but the best there ever was?

Perhaps he’s just trying to butter up Blackburn fans ahead of West Ham’s trip to Ewood Park in the FA Cup 5th round.

“When I was a young kid I played against Blackburn, and he taught me an absolute lesson in how to play midfield,” Noble said.

“I was young and arrogant and I thought: ‘Oh he’s got grey hair, I’m going to get in and around him,’ and he had me on a bit of string for 90 minutes.”

The full XI is as follows:

Goalkeeper: Petr Cech

Right-back: Gary Neville

Centre-back: Laurent Koscielny

Centre-back: Rio Ferdinand

Left-back: Leighton Baines

Midfield: Tugay

Midfield: Luka Modric

Midfield: Paul Scholes

Forward: Didier Drogba

Forward: Wayne Rooney

Forward: Fernando Torres