‘They wanted me to be the next Shearer’ – Obafemi Martins opens up on wearing number 9 shirt at Newcastle

Despite being hampered by numerous injuries throughout his career, Martins still managed to have a successful footballing journey.

Obafemi Martins moved to Newcastle United in 2006 for £10.1 million. The move came after he became dissatisfied at Inter Milan following the arrivals of Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Hernan Crespo.

At 21, Martins joined the Premier League and was immediately under scrutiny, particularly after taking over the famous No. 9 jersey previously worn by the legendary Alan Shearer.

Martins asserted that despite a challenging start and considerable pressure during his three-year tenure at St. James' Park, he consistently gave his utmost.

Speaking with Football Fans Tribe, he said, "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.

"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."

As a Newcastle United player, the former Super Eagles star contributed to 45 goals (35 goals and 10 assists) in 104 appearances across all competitions.

Throughout his remarkable career, Martins also played for Reggiana, Vfl Wolfsburg, Rubin Kazan, Birmingham City, Levante, Seattle Sounders, Shanghai Shenhua, and Wuhan.