Newcastle United whiz kid, Sammy Ameobi, has expressed his desire to feature for the Super Eagles alongside his elder brother, Shola.
The Ameobis played together at Newcastle United up to Shola’s summer departure.
And the younger Ameobi would love to link up again with his elder sibling on the international stage.
Ameobi Snr went to the summer’s World Cup with Nigeria, who have reinstated Coach Stephen Keshi for the final two African Cup of Nations qualifiers against Congo and South Africa later this month.
Ameobi, who has played his part in United’s mini-revival after coming in from the cold on Tyneside, is hoping to follow in his brother’s footsteps.
Shola, like Sammy, represented England at Under-21 level, but he switched allegiance late in his career.
“I’m looking to get involved in the national team,” Ameobi told the Gazette. “Hopefully, I can do that. I’d just like to play alongside Shola again.
“I’m looking forward to that, but the most important thing is playing here for Newcastle.
“If I get an opportunity, I need to take it. If Nigeria happens, it’s a bonus.”
Sammy, meanwhile, started the season on the fringes at Newcastle, and he looked destined for a loan move away from St James’s Park in the final year of his contract.
But Ameobi was handed a chance – and he took it.
The forward scored his first Premier League goal six seconds after coming on against Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane late last month.
And he was named in the starting XI for last weekend’s home game against Liverpool after coming off the bench in the club’s stunning midweek Capital One Cup victory over holders Manchester City.
The challenge for Ameobi is to deliver week in, week out.
“For me, it’s important I build on the Tottenham game,” said Ameobi. “It’s far too easy to just do it once and then fall back out of the squad again.
“That’s not what I want at all.
“I want to start for Newcastle every week, so I’ve got to make the most of this opportunity and make sure I don’t slip up.
“This season I’ve worked really hard, played Under-21 games to stay on top of my fitness, and have got my chance now.
“I’m not going to let that go this time. I’m not a kid anymore, and I realise that.
“It’s one thing being told you have all this talent, but I’m at an age when I have to produce it.
“I’m a grown man and it’s not about potential any more, it’s about actually doing something.
“I have to start playing like a man and acting like a man, and hopefully this season can be the start of that.”
Ameobi, having helped United climb out of the relegation zone, is now looking for the 12th-placed club to break into the top 10.
“A club like Newcastle should be in the top half as a minimum, and we have every chance to make that happen and then push on,” he said.
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