Newcastle represented on FA Cup final day as Shola Ameobi takes up shock role alongside ex-Sunderland ace

As Crystal Palace and Manchester City prepare themselves for the biggest match in the English football calendar, Ameobi will lead a Newcastle team in a five-a-side tournament at St George’s Park. The former Magpies striker will represent Newcastle in the Emirates 5’s competition which will see them take on teams from Manchester, London and Birmingham.

The four teams in the competition will be made up of influencers, non-league players from the region who represented their club in this season’s FA Cup as well as individuals making a positive change in their local communities. The tournament will be available to watch on the FA Cup YouTube channel with players in with the chance of winning huge prizes for being top scorer or player of the tournament.

Ameobi will be joined by three other former Premier League players at the tournament, with each of the four competing cities being represented by a former player. Former Manchester United and Birmingham City goalkeeper Ben Foster will lead the team from Birmingham.

Jermain Defoe, who played for Sunderland as well as a host of London-based clubs, will represent the capital whilst Shaun Wright-Phillips will lead the Manchester-based team.

FA reveal Emirates 5’s update

An update on the competition released by the FA read: ‘Ahead of the Emirates FA Cup Final at Wembley – which will see Crystal Palace and Manchester City go head-to-head to lift the trophy after progressing from the semi-final at the weekend – Emirates are hosting a five-a-side tournament at St. George’s Park, home to the England teams.

‘Teams competing in the Emirates 5’s will be made up of influencers, non-league players who represented their club in the Emirates FA Cup and individuals making a positive change in their local communities.

‘The competing teams will represent the Emirates Flight Hubs in London, Birmingham, Manchester and Newcastle. The four legends – Ben Foster, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Jermain Defoe and Shola Ameobi – will lead the sides.’

Shola Ameobi’s FA Cup legacy with Newcastle United

Newcastle United have not enjoyed a very good record in the FA Cup in recent years and have not appeared in the final four of the competition since a clash against Manchester United at the Millennium Stadium in April 2005 - over two decades ago. Ameobi scored Newcastle’s only goal that day, with his 59th minute strike acting solely as a consolation goal for the Magpies in Cardiff who trailed 3-0 at the time Ameobi netted.

Ameobi’s strike against the Red Devils was his third FA Cup goal of the 2004/05 season having also netted against Yeading and Coventry City in the Third and Fourth Rounds respectively. However, he would not go on to score another FA Cup goal for the Magpies, or any club for that matter, with his last appearance in the competition coming for Notts County in January 2018 in a match that saw Ameobi play 84 minutes during a 1-1 draw. Swansea City would go on to win the replay 8-1 with Ameobi an unused substitute.

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