The Magpies legend retired in 2006 and his former teammate at St James’ Park thinks nobody has been able to truly shine in the number 9 shirt since then.
Newcastle United are yet to find a worthy successor to Alan Shearer, according to his former teammate Shola Ameobi.
The England international was sensational during his playing career, becoming the Premier League’s all-time top goalscorer with 260 goals from 441 appearances.
Shearer is also Newcastle’s leading scorer of all time with 404 goals from 206 matches, turning out for his boyhood club between 1996 and 2006.
Although the 48-year-old is widely considered the greatest Newcastle number 9 of all time, there have been numerous other esteemed players in that position including Malcolm MacDonald, Jackie Milburn, Les Ferdinand and Andy Cole.
Since Shearer’s retirement, the likes of Dwight Gayle, Papiss Cisse, Andy Carroll and Obafemi Martins have played in the number 9 shirt with varying degrees of success, while Salomon Rondon is the incumbent.
According to Ameobi, a Newcastle stalwart and home-grown legend who also turned out in the famed shirt number, no one player has truly shone in the position since Shearer hung up his boots.
“Newcastle have had a storied history of great number 9s,” Ameobi told the official Premier League website. “Since Alan Shearer retired, there hasn’t really been one that has taken on that mantle.
“The longer it goes on I think that pressure will continue to build, until someone takes it really by the scruff of the neck and does the sort of things he did.
“There is pressure. The Newcastle number 9 shirt especially is really special, not only to the players but to the fans and the storied history of the club.”
During his 14-year stay at Newcastle, Ameobi scored 79 goals in 397 appearances across all competitions, and last turned out for League Two side Notts County.
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