The day £55m Aubameyang played behind a Newcastle kebab shop in front of 400 fans
WHEN Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang walks out at St James’ Park today in front of 52,000 supporters it will feel a million miles away from his only other visit to Tyneside.
In fact, it is just three miles. For in the east end of Newcastle, tucked away behind a kebab shop and a florist, is Grounsell Park, home of Northern League club Heaton Stannington.
It was there, on a summer’s day in 2012, that Arsenal’s £55million striker turned out in front of 400 non-League enthusiasts.
The man who marked Aubameyang that day was Heaton captain Joe Wear. ‘Gabon were based here ahead of the Olympic football at St James’ Park,’ he said.
‘They were supposed to have a friendly against Newcastle’s Under 23s but that was cancelled and they needed a warm-up game. So this was quickly arranged on the Saturday ahead of the next day — half the lads turned up hungover.
‘I was already signed up to do the Great North 10k run on the Sunday morning and I thought, “Ah, it’s OK, I’ll still do it, it’s only a friendly and I don’t know much about Gabon, they can’t be that good”. I was wrong...’
Not that Aubameyang, then 23, gave the impression of being a serious professional when he arrived at the ground, which is backed on to by a church and semi-detached houses with wheelbarrows and bins outside of their garden gates.
‘He looked the part — Beats headphones and diamonds on his trainers — but he’d forgotten his boots,’ laughs Wear. ‘Our assistant manager had to