Shola Ameobi is delighted with his new three-year Newcastle United contract.

He said: "In the summer, my future was up in the air. I didn't know if I was going to be here or not, so I am delighted to be able to sign a contract.

"It's my hometown club and I'm happy to be able to look forward to the future with Newcastle United.

"There has been a lot of confusion over what the future held for me, but it's good to be able to put it behind me and now focus on achieving at Newcastle United."

He is currently out of action with a hamstring strain, but is determined to add significantly to both tallies after tying up his future.

He told the club's official website: "Getting fit and playing games is all I wanted to do.

"It had been a while since I was able to do that. I had to prove what I could do.

"But it's testament to the physios and medical staff for the work they have done for me.

"Also, the manager, Joe Kinnear, came in and put a lot of faith in me. I hadn't played for a while and had to prove myself again.

"Thankfully I believe I did that. Now I can look forward to playing a lot more games for Newcastle, which didn't look likely a few months ago.

"I believe I can do that and now my future is in order, I can focus on getting it right on the pitch.

"I am confident I can do it and the club are also, which they have shown by their faith with the contract. Now it's down to me to prove that.

"The aim for the future is to stay fit and play games on a regular basis, then show the form I produced earlier this season."