Ex-Newcastle United Millionaire Now Makes £360 Per Week in Job Away From Football

Once a Newcastle wonderkid with millionaire status, Sammy Ameobi’s journey through football has taken a dramatic turn, landing him in an apprentice role earning just £360. The winger signed his first professional deal with the Magpies in 2010 and spent seven years at St James’ Park, breaking into the first team during the 2014/15 season. At the time, many believed he was destined to rub shoulders with Premier League greats.

But the dream began to unravel in 2016 when Newcastle’s relegation to the Championship saw Rafael Benitez deem Ameobi surplus to requirements. From there, the decline gathered pace. After impressing during a loan stint with Bolton in League One, Ameobi joined the Trotters permanently, playing a pivotal role in their survival in the Championship. Despite drawing interest from other clubs, he stayed loyal to Bolton until their financial woes forced him to move on in 2019.

He found stability with Nottingham Forest, making 77 league appearances over two seasons, before signing with Middlesbrough. However, a knee injury sidelined him for the entire 2021/22 campaign, leading to his release. Now 32, Ameobi has been without a club since leaving Boro, with little news about his whereabouts – that was until he appeared in Chester Magistrates’ Court on January 17.

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Where Sammy Ameobi Is Now

The former winger now earns just over 26 times less money than he did at Newcastle

Once dubbed as a “real talent” by former Ballon d’Or winner Michael Owen, Ameobi recently found himself in the news for all the wrong reasons after he escaped a driving ban after he caused a hit-and-run road accident which left a teenage girl in A&E. The former England under-21 international claimed he had been racing to get to work for his new £360 a week apprentice job when he smashed his Audi E-Tron with a personalised plate into the back of another vehicle.

He told the court, as per The Sun: “Obviously what I did was wrong. I understand that. “It was completely out of character. I panicked at that moment, to be honest with you. I am not trying to make excuses for it. My wife and I were in hospital with my son the night before. He had choked on medication he had for eczema. I did not get any sleep.”

Ameobi was fined £240 by the magistrates and received six penalty points on his driving license for failing to stop after a crash. For Premier League viewers, it’s a sad reminder of what could have been for Ameobi, who overpromised and ultimately underdelivered.