FRANK NOUBLE

Full Name: Frank Herman Nouble

Born: 24 September 1991

Came from: Colchester United   Went to: Released

First game: 05 September 2020   Last game: 26 January 2021

Appearances: 31 (15/16)   Goals: 2

Born in Lewisham, Nouble began his youth career at Chelsea’s academy in 2006 before moving across London to join West Ham United three years later. Showing significant promise at Upton Park, the powerfully-built striker made ten first team appearances for the Hammers in his first season, including eight in the Premier League, before loan spells in the latter half of the 2009-10 season at West Bromwich Albion and Swindon Town.

Already an England international at under-16 and under-17 levels, Nouble was called up to the England under-19 squad in his first season with West Ham, and went on to score twice in the 3-2 victory over Austria in the UEFA under-19 Championship in the summer of 2010.

Most of his second season for the east London club was spent on loan, setting off for Swansea City in September 2010 and then to Barnsley and Charlton Athletic in the new year. The pattern continued in 2011-12, with loan spells at Gillingham and back again to Barnsley.

Released by West Ham, Nouble joined Wolverhampton Wanderers in June 2012, but found first team opportunities hard to come by, and in the January 2013 transfer window joined fellow Championship side Ipswich Town.

His move to Suffolk proved to be much more successful, with 60 appearances in 21 months at Portman Road. In September 2014 he was loaned to Coventry City, and two months later, Argyle fans will remember the torrid time that he gave the Pilgrims' defence in a Football League Trophy game at the Ricoh Arena, culminating in a stunning goal after dribbling from his own half.

The loan for the Sky Blues was converted to a free transfer in January 2015, but he was released at the end of the season. After 16 months with Chinese clubs Tianjin Songjiang and Nei Mongol Zhongyou, Nouble returned to England in October 2016 to rejoin Gillingham for three months, and then Southend United for the second half of the 2016-17 season.

That summer he was on the move again, this time for a season at Newport County, where he was a near ever-present. It was the first time that he had spent a whole season at one club in four years, and further stability came in July 2018 when he joined Colchester United on a two-year contract.

To the disappointment of United's fans, the financial realities of the COVID-19 pandemic meant that Colchester were unable to offer him a contract extension, and in early August 2020, still some six weeks until the start of the 2020-21 season, Ryan Lowe made the 28-year-old his third signing of the summer. For Nouble, Plymouth Argyle was the 17th club of a career that had spanned 330 games and 48 goals at all four levels of English football.

Nouble played for Argyle in the crowd-curtailed, COVID-impacted times of 2020-21; a season of consolidation following the previous campaign's promotion under Ryan Lowe. Despite never playing in front of a significant Home Park crowd, he developed something of a cult hero status, aided by a humdinger of a volley as the winner in a 3-2 victory against Queens Park Rangers in the League Cup on his debut in September 2020 in front of an empty Home Park. He also developed a neat routine, aided by his solid physique, of holding the ball up by the corner flag during the latter stages of games.

In February 2021, having been frequently used as a substitute by Argyle, Nouble rejoined Colchester on loan until the end of the season, and following the expiry of his Home Park contract, he re-signed for the Essex club permanently on a two-year deal in June 2021. Across two seasons he made a further 51 appearances, scoring three and was also loaned out to National League Two Leyton Orient in the 2021-22 season, making eight appearances without scoring. He left Colchester in March 2023 by mutual consent.

Later that month, he joined National League club Torquay United on a short-term contract until the end of the season, playing nine times and scoring three.

For the 2023-24 season he dropped to the National League South to sign for Yeovil Town, and it proved a worthwhile decision as 11 goals in 45 appearances helped fire the Glovers back up into the National League, where he remained ahead of the 2024-25 season.

In March 2025 he signed for Gateshead until the end of 2025-26 season, having scored 15 times in 88 games across his two seasons with the Glovers.