Newcastle United boss Alan Pardew feels coach Peter Beardsley can bring out the best in Sammy Ameobi.

Asked where he can improve over the next three-and-a-half years, Pardew wants him to look to Beardsley as his mentor.

Pardew told the Sunday Sun: "I think he can maybe get mentally stronger, for sure. He is a young boy and sometimes, when you've got an older brother like Shola - who's a dominating figure on him - he needs to come out and be his own man. He'll find that over the next couple of years I reckon. And luckily he'll be doing it under contract with us.

"You don't want to knock that improvisation out of him but we've got good people who will look after him. We've got people like Peter Beardsley, who was a workaholic but still had that in his game. I see people like Luis Suarez.

"I hope Sammy evolves into someone who doesn't lose his creative ability but really puts in a shift. It would be great for him and us."