The 21-year-old will head into Sunday's derby clash with arch-rivals Sunderland carrying the hopes of the Geordie nation squarely on his broad shoulders. He will do so having put his off-field problems behind him and with a match-winning display at West Ham last weekend under his belt. However, team-mate Shola Ameobi knows only too well how intense the weight of expectation can be having himself emerged from the club's academy as a teenager and attempted to fill the boots of a man who scored a record 206 goals for his hometown club. Now 29, Ameobi has had to contend with a catalogue of injuries in recent years, but is back in business and busily forming a partnership with another home-grown graduate. He said: "The expectations of the Newcastle fans are sky high. They want to succeed and sometimes, that hunger to succeed can heap a lot of pressure on young talents. "But Andy, certainly on the pitch, is coping with it very well. "He has been confident enough to take that number nine shirt - he wants to be the next local hero, and that speaks volumes. "He wants to go out there and score as many goals as he can and help his beloved Newcastle to be a winning team on the pitch. "That in itself comes with a lot of pressure - I know only too well about that - and it's something I have had to learn over the years. "I can probably say I have coped with that pressure. It's been intense, but I think I have coped with it very well and hopefully Andy can do the same over the coming years." The pressure on Sunday will be of a very specific variety as Newcastle attempt to end a run of four games at St James' Park without a win on an afternoon when defeat is simply not an option. They have largely held sway over their nearest rivals during the Premier League era - they have won seven and drawn six of their 13 encounters - but the Black Cats triumphed twice on Tyneside under Peter Reid and claimed the points at the Stadium of Light two seasons ago. Ameobi, who scored twice in a 3-2 home victory in October 2005, said: "I never wanted to have that on my CV, losing against Sunderland, but unfortunately that was the case a couple of seasons ago. "But we have had some terrific wins as well. I have been privileged enough to score a few goals against Sunderland, and obviously that, as a child growing up, is what you always dream of doing, scoring against your local rivals. "I have had the pleasure of doing that and hopefully some Sunday, I will get that winning feeling again. "First and foremost, it's about getting a win over our rivals and more importantly, getting three points because we understand how tight this league is. "A couple of defeats can propel you right down to the bottom and a couple of wins can propel you right to the top, and we understand that." Ameobi sat in the stands as a 17-year-old the infamous night in August 1999 when then manager Ruud Gullit dropped Shearer and saw his side lose 2-1 to the Wearsiders in what proved to be his final game in charge. He said: "I remember that rain-soaked night. "That was obviously a very bad night for us as a club and as a city, but we have managed in recent years to banish that memory with some good performances and good results against them - obviously not including the last one."
