Shola Ameobi loving "familiarity" of life at Notts County

Shola Ameobi has revealed that he was considering whether to call time on his career prior to joining Notts County, but says he knew it was "the right time to get back into the game" at Meadow Lane.

Between May 2016 and February this year, he was without a club having been released by Fleetwood Town, but was snapped up by former Newcastle United teammate - and Magpies manager - Kevin Nolan to try and help a side then in danger of relegation from the Football League.

However, five months down the line he has become a fan favourite at Notts and will be with the club going into the 2017/18 season, with quiet confidence of a prosperous season following an upturn in circumstances both behind the scenes and on the pitch.

“When I was back in Newcastle and coaching and doing other bits and bobs, you do start wondering if it the right time to stop,” Ameobi told the Independent.

“But I still felt the passion to keep training and I felt motivated, even though I didn’t have a club, so I think from my side I still felt I had something in the tank.

"I got up every day and made sure I did the right things. Ultimately, of course, it’s not really your decision but whether a club wants you.

“When the opportunity came along to play under Kevin [Nolan], I felt that was the right time to get back into the game. There was some negativity, but I never really felt any of that.

"As soon as I came here I felt almost at home. Not just the familiarity with the manager, but with the players, the staff and the fans. I felt the love right from the start.

"It helps that I’m wearing black and white stripes, because that is a familiarity I can cope with.”

To read the full Independent interview, "Shola Ameobi on football, faith and becoming a black-and-white hero… again", click here.

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