Shola Ameobi is undeterred by the prospect of more competition for starting spots at Newcastle and intends to fight for his place.

Long-serving forward will welcome any new additions at Newcastle

Excited

Shola Ameobi is undeterred by the prospect of more competition for starting spots at Newcastle and intends to fight for his place. Despite Demba Ba and Papiss Cisse being established as the first-choice pairing for the Magpies, Alan Pardew has still been linked with bids for Luuk de Jong and Andy Carroll this summer. Although a new face on Tyneside seems inevitable, Ameobi is focused on nothing but preparing for his 13th season with the club. "I'm sure (Pardew) is trying to bring more players in to get the competition for places and I'm sure that'll make the team stronger," he told the. "But I've said to the manager I want to fight for my place again. He knows that. He expects me to do that."Ameobi made his debut for the club back in September 2000 and can expect to see plenty of action this season given the club's involvement in the Europa League. And the 30-year-old cannot wait to build on last season's surprise fifth-place finish. "We're really excited about this season," he added. "Obviously, it was fantastic the way we finished last year, but we want to improve. The hard work starts now."