Former Newcastle striker signed a deal with Town today
New signing Shola Ameobi explained that Town’s ambition was his biggest factor in moving to the Fylde Coast after signing a deal until the end of the season today.The former Newcastle United man trained with his new teammates for the first time on Thursday morning before penning a contract ahead of the trip to Port Vale this weekend.
Ameobi left Bolton Wanderers in January after finding the net twice in ten occasions, and scored on his final game for the club against MK Dons.
In an exclusive interview with the Club’s media team, Ameobi is hoping his Barclays Premier League experience will benefit the younger players in the squad.
He said: “I spoke to the owner Andy Pilley on Wednesday night and he explained to me what he wanted to do here. I was really excited to come down and join.
“I was intrigued to see what the place was all about, but now that I’ve seen it I’m just excited to be here and will hopefully lend a bit of experience and quality to the squad.
“The training facilities are magnificent considering where the Club were a few years ago, so to have something like this is great testament to the owner.
“The ambition was the one thing that really stood out for me. The owner, the manager and the lads are all ambitious and it was something I really wanted to be a part of.
“At the end of the day it’s about what feels right, and when I got here it really felt right. I got a good vibe from the manager and his staff.
“I want to give it my all to whoever I play for and it’s important that the relationship is there. It was certainly the case when I came here.
“I will always try and lend my experiences to the younger players coming through here. The manager feels an experienced head can guide them along.
“Helping to develop young players is something I take really seriously and have done throughout my career. I aim to do the same here.”
Ameobi spent 14 years with the Toon Army before spending time with Gaziantep BB in Turkey and teaming up with Alan Pardew at Crystal Palace.
Adding: “I’m a homegrown lad and was fortunate enough to play most of my career for Newcastle United who are the club I’ve supported from an early age.
“It’s something I don’t take lightly and I feel really, really proud of it. I’m still a fan of the club and want to see them do well.
“I keep in touch with some of the guys there as they’re a club close to my heart, but this is a new challenge for me now and one I’m focused on.
“For me football is football no matter what division you play in. This challenge is no different and it’s one I’m very much relishing.
“Every league has its difficulties and as a team we’d obviously like to be higher up the table, so hopefully myself and the other lads who have come in can help the lads.”