Former Super Eagles’ striker, Shola Ameobi was moved to tears while viewing a monument that was lined up in honor of England football legend, Kevin Keegan, who was one of his coaches at Newcastle United, where the tall hitman spent the first 14 years of his career.
Sports247 reports that, the 44-year-old Ameobi later spent a season on loan at Stoke City, then moved to Gaziantep of Turkey, before stints with Crystal Palace, Bolton Wanderers, Fleetwood Town and Notts County, but he remained totally devoted to The Magpies.
Keegan, who had two tenures as Newcastle’s gaffer (1992-1997 and 2008) was one of the tacticians who helped Ameobi stabilise himself at Saint James’s Park, where the striker spent time in the Toon academy from 1995 to 2000, with his formative years guided by the England legend.
Ameobi, who starred for Nigeria at the 2014 FIFA World Cup, under the charge of late Stephen Okechukwu Keshi as handler of the Super Eagles, has now paid homage to Keegan by turning up at a public monument where he viewed a sea of flowers, scarves, flags, cones and footie tops submittted by Toon fans.
The dark-skinned ex-international rubbed his eyes as he viewed the splash of memorabilia spread across the floor in honour of ‘King Kev,’ who died on Monday aged 75, after being diagnosed with stomach cancer, leaving behind fond memories of how he thrilled the world of football as a player and coach.
In honour of the late England national team star, Ameobi, who scored 53 goals for Newcastle and is now an ambassador of the Tyneside outfit, remained solemn and did not speak a word, while wiping tears from his eyes.
Sports247 reports further that, while Ameobi revealed his emotions in action alone and chose not to speak, the club’s current coach, Eddie Howe said Keegan, who also played for Liverpool and Southampton of England as well as SV Hamburg of Germany, was an ‘inspiration.’
