Ameobi certainly had no guarantees from Pardew, the former Toon boss even made it public.
Pardew said in November: "Sammy is fighting for his career at Newcastle. His contract is up in the summer, but he knows what he needs to do."
Sammy Ameobi: "When the next manager comes in, if there is one, I need to prove myself all over again.
"I’m obviously playing for my career, essentially, but it is something I’m looking forward to.
"I’m very confident in my own ability. I have every opportunity to start for Newcastle every week. Hopefully I can do that, whoever comes in.
"I think I did prove I was worth my place, yes.
"That’s what I always wanted to do really. It’s my last season here so I need to prove myself if I want to stay and get a new contract.
"That’s what I did but there is still a long way to go. There is a lot of hard work ahead and I am just looking forward to each game and to try and prove myself to whoever comes in.
"Of course, the ultimate aim is to get a new deal and stay here. I really want to stay. It’s my hometown, I’m happy and I love it here.
"It is just a privilege to play for Newcastle United. It is my dream club. I have supported them since I was a kid. Every week, I don’t take anything for granted and it’s a real blessing to be playing here."