Shola Ameobi has labelled Dan Ashworth’s appointment at Newcastle United as a ‘game-changer’ when it comes to bringing through the club’s next generation of local heroes. Ameobi spoke exclusively to Chronicle Live and was visibly excited about working with the former Brighton man.
The former Toon striker is in place as the club’s loan manager overseeing the temporary exits of players in the youth set-up. Ashworth arrives at Newcastle with a track record of setting up loans for youngsters which have paved the way for many to become established top-flight footballers.
Ashworth’s appointment as Sporting Director was approved on Monday and he met Ameobi earlier this week, with the club legend looking forward to working closely with him. Speaking at the club’s Foundation HQ, Ameobi said: “It's going to be a game-changer for us - from a football operations point of view. Dan is someone who has got extensive experience working with the FA and the other roles he's had too - he's had some successes as well, and I am personally excited to be able to work alongside Dan and to learn.
“The experience he has, and the vision too he has for the club, it will be very exciting to hopefully see that come to life. He has extensive experience in how to do this and how to do it well.
“That sense of leadership and guidance that he will bring from a football operations point of view is going to be key to the success we have as a club moving forward. He is a huge part of that, I am personally excited to be able to learn and see what we can do together."
LISTEN - INTRODUCING DAN ASHWORTH
Ashworth in his first interview since joining the club made it clear that he wants to create a pathway for Newcastle's youngsters in the youth ranks that can see them move up to the first team. Having had notable successes at Brighton with the likes of Ben White and Robert Sanchez, there's the hope of a similar outcome at Newcastle.
As a former academy graduate, Ameobi understands the journey youngsters go through - with many never making it to the top level. Ameobi played more than 300 times for Newcastle over a 14-year period and feels the words of Ashworth will be a big boost for those with first-team aspirations.
"It's huge. It's really important for players to know they have got the chance.
"If they're good enough, they will get the opportunity. Clubs don't always have that policy and then for many the first thing is to always look outward.
"Now I do think it's important we do that as a club, we want the best players at the club but we need to have that in conjunction with harnessing our own talent because there is huge talent in the North East and it is something that probably hasn't been the focus in recent year but its nice to hear we are getting back to that, back to our roots as a club of producing world-class players. To hear that as a player will be music to their ears.
"As a product of the academy myself, this is why I'm here. This is what I want to do - to see our young players develop.
"We have quality, and we need to make sure we're doing our bit as coaches and as a club to harness that talent. It's really important as a club to have that vision. Kids aren't going to come through unless we have a vision as a club to make that a reality and Dan has a track record of doing that, and that's why personally I am excited.
"If you look at what he has done at West Brom and Brighton and the kids who came through there, that is a big part of the game model he has had and Dan bringing that here, I know the owners, Mehrdad and Amanda, want that as well. He's the key to hopefully unlocking that for us in terms of the strategies and the implementations, and of what we need to do to allow that to flourish alongside Eddie Howe and his team.
"It's bringing all those things together and putting those things into place to facilitate that. That is something, from my initial conversations with him, that he is excited to do."
Ameobi was speaking after the visit of Nadhim Zahawi, Secretary of State for Education, who visited the NUFoundation on Diana Street, just up from St James' Park. Ameobi is a patron for the charity, and as a youngster used the old Murray House that was originally on the site.
Speaking about the multi-million-pound facility, Ameobi said: "Every time I come to this site it takes me back to being six or seven years old - it brings back emotions that I had as a kid. For me that is the biggest thing about this building, it gives the kids and the adults everyone who comes here to feel that way.
"To come to a safe space and do what they do, and not in a million years would I have thought we'd have a complex like this. The dream was to reach as many as we can, and having a world-class facility gives the opportunity to that and it's great to see.
"This is just the start. Our reach as a foundation is only going to grow as the club grows and the outreach to other parts of the world. That is the goal to use this facility to showcase for us to reach more and more people."
