SAMMY Ameobi’s been offered a new contract by Newcastle United.
The 19-year-old’s forced his way into Alan Pardew’s first-team squad this season.
Ameobi’s progress through the ranks has been startling, and the striker – who made his England Under-21 debut last week – is now a regular on the bench.
And the Gazette understands the club have offered him a new three-and-a-half year deal, with his present contract running out next year.
For his part, Ameobi’s just grateful for the faith that Pardew – who handed him his debut at Chelsea late last season – has shown in him since taking over at Newcastle.
“As a young player, all you want to do is get an opportunity for the first team – and I’m grateful for the manager for giving me a chance,” Ameobi told the Gazette.
“I’m enjoying every single minute of it, and I’ll continue to do that.”
Ameobi came off the bench in United’s last game, a 2-1 win over Everton before the international break, and he’s hopeful of again being involved at leaders Manchester City on Saturday when the Premier League resumes.
The fixture is followed by another daunting trip – to champions Manchester United – and a home game against Chelsea.
And Ameobi believes he and his team-mates can upset the odds in one or more of the fixtures.
He said: “We’ll try and get as many points as we can from these next three games.
“We’re not going to go in a defensive style, thinking we’re going to lose. Hopefully, we can get some points.
“We’ll do our best and work our hardest. Hopefully, we’ll get a result. It’ll be a tough game, but, hopefully, we’ll grab a point, or even three. You never know. It’s the way football goes.”
Meanwhile, Sammy’s elder brother Shola is available again after a month on the sidelines with a hamstring problem.
“He’s itching to get back,” added the younger Ameobi.
“Hopefully, he won’t be too long. It’s not as bad as they thought it would be.”
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