Shola Ameobi

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Born
1981 (44 years old)
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Zaria, Nigeria

Position
Centre-Forward

Status

Ethnicity
Black

Team Number

Height
191 cm

Weight
74 kg

Outfitter

Kit
Wage Year

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No Cutout thumb

Archive

Full Body Render

Sport

Soccer

Team
_Retired Soccer

2nd Team

League
_No League Soccer

Creative Commons Artwork
No

Description

Foluwashola "Shola" Ameobi (born 12 October 1981) is a Nigerian former professional footballer who played as a striker.

He spent 14 years at Newcastle United, making 397 official appearances and scoring 79 goals, and received a winner's medal when they won the Championship in 2010. He has the fifth most appearances as a substitute in the Premier League. On leaving Newcastle in 2014, he briefly represented Gaziantep BB in Turkey, before brief spells at Crystal Palace, Bolton Wanderers, Fleetwood Town, and Notts County.

Born in Nigeria but raised in England, Ameobi was capped by the England under-21 team before making his Nigeria debut in 2012 and representing them at the 2014 FIFA World Cup.

Born in Zaria, Nigeria to a family from Ijumu Local Government Area in modern-day Kogi State. Ameobi moved to Fenham, Newcastle upon Tyne, England when he was five. His initial promise was spotted whilst attending the Walker Central Boys Club, before he was invited to attend Newcastle United's Academy.

He is the older brother of fellow footballers Tomi and Sammy. His father, Dr John Ameobi, is a pastor in Newcastle Apostolic church, a Pentecostal church. All of the Ameobi boys were brought up in the church and have a strong faith. Ameobi is on the board of reference for CSW, an organisation working for religious freedom through advocacy and human rights.

Nigerian-born Ameobi had a three-year spell with England's under-21 team, netting seven goals between 2000 and 2003. Ameobi is the joint eighth highest goal scorer for the under-21s.

In late 2009, Ameobi declared his interest in playing for Nigeria. On 14 January 2011, he was announced in the Nigerian national squad for the first time, for a friendly against Guatemala in the United States, in February. He withdrew from the replacement game against Sierra Leone after breaking his cheekbone in a Premier League match.

On 1 November 2011, it was announced that FIFA had cleared Ameobi to play for Nigeria.

In October 2012, Nigeria head coach Stephen Keshi expressed his interest in Ameobi joining the squad for the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations.

In November 2012, Ameobi received his second call-up for the Nigeria national team against Venezuela. He made his debut on 14 November, appearing as a substitute in the 60th minute for former Newcastle teammate Obafemi Martins. In stoppage time at the end of the game, Ameobi laid on a pass for Ogenyi Onazi to make the score 3–1 to Nigeria.

He scored his first international goal for Nigeria on 10 September 2013, against Burkina Faso in a friendly in Kaduna, Nigeria. In November 2013, he scored his second goal against Italy, in a friendly at Craven Cottage.

On 12 May 2014, he was named in Nigeria's 30-man provisional squad for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, and later made the final 23-man squad. During the tournament, Ameobi made a total of two substitute appearances for the Super Eagles, failing to score in either and ultimately seeing out his side's 2–0 exit to France as an unused substitute.

Trophies