Newcastle's Nigerian youngster Shola Ameobi has committed himself to playing international football for his adopted home of England, rather than the land of his birth. And it's partly because of the hassle he's seen our man Kanu suffer.

"Having grown up here I'm now used to the English way of playing," he said. "The African way is a bit different and it would have been difficult to get used to another mentality in playing for Nigeria.

"But I've also looked at the awful problems faced by Kanu when he has been called up by Nigeria. I decided I didn't want anything like that to jeopardise my career."