The Nigerian-born striker has spent almost a decade in the shadows of a string of big-name forwards, with limited cameos alongside players such as Alan Shearer, Craig Bellamy and expensive signings such as Obafemi Martins.

BBC: Ameobi enjoys Magpies renaissance

Now at last he is the chief executive, with a string of successes to his name, rather than a runner-up.

ECONOMIST: Face value

With a string of victories to his name, the 18-year-old Thai transvestite had shown his taunters that you can have a fondness for lipstick and nail varnish and still survive in the brutal wor ld of kickboxing.

CNN: PEOPLE

He had been a brilliant industrial chemist with a string of manufacturing patents to his name.

BBC

It looks like you can add another big name to the recent string of high-profile hacking attempts.

ENGADGET

In a highly unscientific, but hopefully revealing exercise, we asked a string of Lib Dem members to name the one coalition policy they can point to as unmistakably theirs.

BBC: Lib Dem conference: What have they done with power?

This address is your account name added to a forgettable string of letters and numbers, but it can be added to your email contacts.

WSJ: Fresh Design Brightens Evernote 5

In early 2012, Slightly Mad Studios, which has a string of PC and console hits to its name, kicked off its World of Mass Development (WMD) programme.

BBC: Kickstarter: Games by the people, for the people

Then he diversified, opening several more sports retail chains, including a string of golf stores, and buying franchise rights to operate top brand-name sportswear and designer clothing shops.

FORBES: BY JENNIFER SCHULTZ WELLS