SIR BOBBY ROBSON has told Shola Ameobi he can take over Alan Shearer's attacking mantle at Newcastle.

Manager Robson, mindful that 33-year-old Shearer retires at the end of next season, insists Ameobi has the ability to emerge as his skipper's long-term successor in the famous No 9 shirt.

The England Under-21 striker rescued the Magpies' UEFA Cup ambitions when he struck twice as a half-time replacement for the injured Craig Bellamy in last week's nervy 3-1 third-round second-leg victory over Valerenga at St. James' Park.

Robson is a big fan of 22-year-old Ameobi, who was controversially preferred to Shearer for the drawn first leg in Norway where the captain publicly complained he was "angry and disappointed'' about being left out.

Ameobi only came on in the second leg because of a hamstring injury to Bellamy, but it proved something of a blessing in disguise on the night.

Robson said: "Shola took his goals well and it will do his confidence the world of good.

"I had a word with him before the second leg about why he was out. We started with him in the first leg, but he was taken off because he was poor.

"But a week is a long time in football and he responded very well.

"He has to watch Alan and see how he plays, but after his performance last week I said to Shola, 'Keep playing like that and you might replace Alan in the long-term'.''

Bellamy has given himself "a chance" of being fit for tomorrow night's fourth-round first-leg visit of Real Mallorca.

The setback against Valerenga followed four goals in as many starts in 18 days for the Wales star after nearly four months out with a career-threatening knee problem which required surgery.

He said: "To be honest, my comeback has gone better than expected and as far as my knee is concerned, I feel great.

"I feel in really good shape. I didn't want to come back unfit. I wanted to make a difference straight away - I cannot handle 52,000 Geordies having a go at me because I'm not fit. I feel stronger now than I was before my knee operation.''

Midfielders Kieron Dyer and Darren Ambrose are also under treatment for hamstring injuries which ruled them out of the Valerenga victory. Ambrose is understood to have the better chance of being fit to face Mallorca.

Midfield mainstay Gary Speed has saluted goalkeeper Shay Given and Newcastle's much-maligned defence for keeping an often-troubled season on track.

Speed said: "We have a determination to succeed and that's helping us, but I think it's Shay and the defence who are seeing us through a very difficult patch.

"They've come in for a lot of stick, but I think they're the best thing about the team at the moment. They are the reason we aren't losing games.

"Shay made a truly great save against Valerenga when he pushed a shot on to the bar, and he's in a rich vein of form.

"He made superb saves in Oslo and at Portsmouth and, without him, you wonder what might have happened.

"Every team left in the UEFA Cup is a massive club. You have Inter Milan, Barcelona, Valencia, Roma, Liverpool and Celtic, to name but a few.

"I would like to think that drawing Mallorca will spur us on to better things. When you look at how the competition is panning out, there's a great incentive for us to make further progress.

"It's a superb competition and I don't think any of those teams through to the last 16 would say otherwise.

"If it means extra fixtures, I don't think anyone will be complaining because we're in the competition to win it."