STRIKER Shola Ameobi has signed a new four-and-a-half-year contract with Newcastle United.

The 20-year-old, a product of United's youth academy who broke into the first team early last season, is now tied to the club until the end of season 2005-06.

Born in Nigeria, Ameobi has won seven England Under-21 caps and rave notices from manager Bobby Robson, who is tipping him as a star of the future.

Ameobi made his senior debut as a substitute in the Premiership home game against Chelsea last season and went on to make 22 appearances, leading the line in the absence of the injured Alan Shearer and Carl Cort.

This season, Ameobi has made 11 starts - six of which came in the Intertoto Cup - plus ten appearances as a substitute, and has scored five goals.

He is likely to be on the bench today when United host First Division Crystal Palace in the third round of the FA Cup.

Robson faces a dilemma over key midfielder Kieron Dyer.

The United boss had intended to rest a weary Dyer, who has made ten appearances in the space of 28 days after spending nearly ten months on the sidelines with shin problems.

But Robert Lee's recurring groin injury, coupled with Laurent Robert's continued absence because of hip trouble and a slight doubt about ankle-victim Gary Speed, could force Robson to press Dyer back into action.

Robson, who had even toyed with the idea of resting Dyer for Wednesday's 3-1 defeat at Manchester United, explained: "Rob felt his groin again at the end of the match and he's only 50-50 to play this weekend.

"Gary had problems with a swollen ankle and he's suffered a slight reaction after playing on Wednesday night. He's 80-20 at best to play.

"Clarence Acuna is fully fit now, so I have to decide what I'm going to do with Kieron.

"My idea was to leave him out and give him a ten-day break to rehabilitate himself through training and be really right for next Saturday's home game against Leeds.

"But if Rob is out, I have to think about Kieron again.''

Robson, who led Ipswich to FA Cup glory in 1978 and took Newcastle to a semi-final defeat by Chelsea at Wembley two years ago, is excited about the launch of another cup campaign.

"It's the start of another adventure for us,'' said Robson, who as a fan watched each of the Magpies' last three FA Cup final victories in the Fifties.

Today's tie pits 68-year-old Robson against one of his former England charges, Trevor Francis, who took over at Palace last month after losing his job with Birmingham. Robson said: " I know Trevor very well - he played under me with England.

"He did very well at Birmingham over a long period without managing to get them into the Premiership.

"But he worked off a tight budget, as you tend to in the First Division.

"He's quite an experienced manager now and I'm sure he'll do well at Palace.

"He was this country's first £1m player when Brian Clough signed him for Nottingham Forest - and told him to go and make the tea!''

Robson was the man who brought striker Francis' England career to an end when he axed him in favour of a certain Peter Beardsley.

"I had a choice of Beardsley or Francis and it was an exceptionally hard decision,'' said Robson.

"Trevor will have learned about that in the last few years. They don't know about the selection of players when they're playing, but they learn about it when they go into management.

"That's when they see the other side of things.''

Robson, meanwhile, insists he is in no rush to secure a deal for on-loan Paris St Germain defender Sylvain Distin.

The £3.5m-rated Frenchman, who has started the last three games, is with United for the rest of the season after arriving in September, and Robson has first refusal if he decides to pursue a permanent deal.

"He's here to the end of the season - he can't go anywhere, nobody can touch him and he's basically our player,'' said Robson.

"I've spoken to the chairman (Freddy Shepherd) about him. He's done very well and impressed me in areas of his game, but we can just sit tight.

"We have an agreement in black and white that if we want him, we know how much he will cost.''

*Newcastle's Lomano Lua Lua has been called up to Congo DR's preliminary squad for the African Nations Cup.

The 20-year-old was born in Kinshasa but left the country and moved to England in 1989, and he is one of 15 European-based players in coach Louis Watunda's provisional squad.

Lua Lua, a £2.25m signing from Colchester last year, is currently uncapped.

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