Newcastle United manager Alan Pardew wanted Shola Ameobi – who departed in the summer – to stay at the club.
Ameobi left Newcastle this year after his contract ran out to join Turkish PTT 1.lig side Gaziantep BB.
The Nigeria international spent 14 years at Newcastle before moving to Turkey.
Ameobi scored 71 goals and provided 28 assists for the Magpies in 378 performances.
According to the Newcastle based newspaper The Evening Chronicle, Pardew wanted Ameobi to stay at the club as a player-coach.
Ameobi has made scored three goals in seven appearances for Gaziantep BB this season.
The Nigerian international’s 22-year-old brother Sammy Ameobi now plays for Newcastle.
Sammy has scored one goal and one assist in seven Premier League appearances for Newcastle this season.
