A teenage footballer already living his childhood dream, Stuart Rayner finds out why Sammy Ameobi is not about to get carried away
HE spends his spare time buried in a book, and regardless of what happens at St James’ Park today will be in church in Fenham at 10.30am tomorrow. Sammy Ameobi is not your normal footballer.
The 19-year-old has only played ten professional games, yet his unpredictable skills have graced Stamford Bridge, Villa Park, Eastlands and Old Trafford.
In an era when the most talented footballers can become millionaires before being established in the first-team, it could easily be too much, too soon.
Born and raised in Walker, Ameobi is very much a product of his family, however. Eleven years his senior, brother Shola is not just Sammy’s inspiration, but his hardest taskmaster. Not that he needs look that far for discipline – he gets plenty at home from his parents.
In a Premier League where Christians seldom speak about their faith for fear of ridicule, Ameobi is an ideal ambassador.
“I feel privileged to be in this position, and I’m not going to take that for granted,” he says. “I’m going to do it to the best of my ability, it’s my job.”
That ability is pushing him up the St James’ Park pecking order. Manager Alan Pardew is unafraid to harness the X-factor which makes the man whose hair takes him above the 6ft 3in mark stand out from the crowd.
Pardew gave Ameobi his Newcastle United debut at Stamford Bridge in May, and a first start at Manchester City last month. He will have no concerns at pitching him into today’s vital game at home to Chelsea.
“It’s not what I expected at all,” Ameobi says of his breakthrough season. “I thought the process would be a lot slower. It’s been amazing and it’s up to me to make the most of my opportunity, and I aim to do that.”
He has taken it all in his gangly stride. Among the highs, a moron came out of the woodwork abusing his skin colour on Twitter. “It’s part of the whole package, you have to be able to deal with the good things and the bad things but it’s not something I really want to get into,” Ameobi says.
“People recognise me a lot more, although I’m not one to spend a lot of my spare time in and around town. I’m more of a private person, I like hanging out at home.”
The sources of his level-headedness are obvious. “My faith’s important to me, and I go to church with all my family, it’s good,” he says.
