Newcastle’s Sammy Ameobi happy to step out of brother Shola’s shadow

The winger admits he grew frustrated at being better known for his experienced sibling than his own football skills before this season.

However, since older brother Shola left Newcastle last summer, England Under-21 international Sammy has become more of a regular starter at his boyhood club.

And he is delighted to have now ‘made a name’ for himself.

The 22-year-old told Premier League World: “For a long time, I was just known as ‘Sammy, Shola’s little brother’.

“No-one really knew me for me, and that frustrated me a little bit.

“I wanted to go out and make a name for myself, and not just be Shola’s little brother.

“I feel as though that was a motivation for me, to get into the first-team.”

Striker Shola, meanwhile, joined Alan Pardew’s Crystal Palace last month after an ill-fated short spell in Turkey with Gaziantep.

He feels his departure from St James’s Park – after 14 years in the first-team – has helped the development of his brother, whose current deal at Newcastle runs out in the summer.

And he is convinced the winger can go on to achieve whatever he wants in the game.

The striker told the same programme: “Obviously, there’s a lot of pride there.

“He’s a very talented kid, and the world is his oyster if he puts his mind to it.

“I fully believe that he can go as far as he wants to.

“The fact that he has broken into the first-team this season, without me being there, being a shadow, has probably really helped him.

“He has had to step into himself and be his own man, and I think we’re seeing the fruits of that now.”