'They wanted me to be next Shearer'- Obafemi Martins on carrying the No.9 legacy at Newcastle
Published: April 23, 2025
Retired Nigeria international Obafemi Martins has opened up about the challenges he faced after leaving Inter Milan for Newcastle United, a move that came with sky-high expectations.
Obafemi Martins joined the Magpies from Inter Milan for £10.1m in 2006 after becoming unsettled at the Serie A giants following the arrivals of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Hernan Crespo.
Joining the Premier League as a 21-year-old, Martins was quickly thrust into the spotlight, especially after inheriting the iconic No.9 shirt previously worn by club legend Alan Shearer.
With 260 goals in 441 appearances, Shearer holds the record as the Premier League's all-time top scorer, having achieved this milestone with Blackburn Rovers and Newcastle United.
Despite the weight of expectations and a tough start, Martins says he gave everything he could during a three-year stint at St. James' Park.
The former Super Eagles star registered 45 goal involvements (35 goals, 10 assists) in 104 matches across all competitions as a Newcastle United player.
"Leaving Inter Milan to go to Newcastle United, I knew it wasn’t going to be an easy task and I remember my first game I got injured," Martins told Football Fans Tribe.
""Back then, as a striker, if you didn't score in two or three games, you'd already start feeling sad.
"It wasn’t easy at all playing as the number 9. I took Shearer's number 9 shirt, so the pressure alone is high.
"They wanted me to be the next Shearer, to score more goals. But I did my part and I moved on."
In an illustrious career spanning more than two decades, Martins also wore the colours of Reggiana, VfL Wolfsburg, Rubin Kazan, Birmingham City, Levante, Seattle Sounders, Shanghai Shenhua and Wuhan.
Ifeanyi Emmanuel
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