Newcastle United wonderkid who was once a millionaire is now earning £360 a week as an apprentice

A former Newcastle wonderkid who was once a millionaire is now earning £360 as an apprentice.

Sammy Ameobi signed his first professional contract with the Magpies in 2010 and had a seven-year spell at St James' Park.

He broke into the Newcastle team during the 2014/15 season, and ex-Magpies striker Michael Owen called him a 'real talent' and added that he could 'produce moments that not many others can'.

But he was told by Rafael Benitez that he was surplus to requirements in the summer of 2016 after Newcastle suffered relegation to the Championship.

After a successful loan spell at League One side Bolton, and rejoined the Trotters on a permanent deal the following summer after they earned promotion.

Ameobi played a significant role in helping Bolton avoid relegation back to League One, and was one of the top-performing forwards in the second tier.

Despite interest from other clubs, the England U21 international turned down approaches from other clubs in the summer of 2018 but left a year later due to Bolton's financial difficulties.

After two seasons at Nottingham Forest, where he made 77 league appearances, Ameobi joined Middlesbrough but missed the entire 2021/22 campaign through a knee injury before being released.

Now 32, Ameobi has not had a club since his Boro departure and few updates have been given about his status.

That was until he appeared at Chester Magistrates' Court on January 17 over charges that he failed to stop after a collision after driving without insurance.

The court, as per The Sun, heard that Ameobi, who pleaded guilty to both offences, had been identified using CCTV as being the driver of an Audi that crashed into a Citreon C1, being driven by a 19-year-old woman.

Sammy Ameobi played for Nottingham Forest between 2019 and 2021 (Image: Getty)

The victim's vehicle was propelled into the path of incoming traffic and she suffered undisclosed injuries, her family said.

Ameobi drove off after the crash, which occurred in November 2024, but an independent witness later identified him as the driver.

The prosecution barrister said that the right wing of the 19-year-old's car collided with Ameobi's car, and damage included 'dents to the wheel arch of the right hand side of the vehicle back and front' and the 'right-side wing mirror'.

Representing himself, the former Newcastle forward stated that he was 'rushing' to get to his new job, where he is an apprentice on £360 per week.

Chester Magistrates Court (Image: Getty)

He told the court: "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 choken 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 licence for failing to stop after a crash.