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Factfile: Matt Ritchie
Written by Newcastle Utd
Everything you need to know about Newcastle United's latest recruit, winger Matt Ritchie
Everything you need to know about Newcastle United's latest recruit, Matt Ritchie...
- Matt Ritchie was born on 10th September 1989 in Gosport, Hampshire.
- He plays international football for Scotland, who he is eligible to represent through his father, Alex, who is Scottish.
- Ritchie is five feet eight inches, or 1.78 metres, tall.
- The winger joined his first club, Portsmouth, at the age of 13, making his Premier League debut in April 2010.
- Prior to that, the 26-year-old had enjoyed loan spells at Dagenham and Redbridge and Notts County.
- Another subsequent loan at Swindon Town was cut short by Pompey in March 2010, allowing Ritchie to feature against Wigan in his top flight debut the following month.
- He made a total of ten first team appearances during his time at Fratton Park.
- After a second loan spell at Swindon during the first half of the 2010/11 season the move was made permanent in January 2011.
- His form at the County Ground earned him the League Two Player of the Year award, and a place in the division's Team of the Year in 2012 as the Robins lifted the title.
- Having impressed in League One the following campaign, Ritchie joined AFC Bournemouth in January 2013, then also a third tier club.
- In May 2013, he was named League One Player of the Year.
- He made his Scotland bow in March 2015, against Northern Ireland at Hampden Park.
- Ritchie achieved two successive promotions during his time at the Vitality Stadium, helping to propel the club to the Premier League in 2015.
- His goal in their Euro 2016 qualifier against Poland at the same venue won the Scottish FA's Goal of the Year award.
- United's latest recruit played 90 minutes in both of the Cherries' Premier League fixtures against Newcastle last season - the 1-0 Magpies win in November 2015 and the 3-1 victory for Eddie Howe's men at St. James' Park - in which Ritchie scored - in March.