1. Matthew Thomas Ritchie was born on 10 September 1989 and is a professional footballer who plays as a winger or wing-back for EFL Championship club Portsmouth.
21 Facts About Matt Ritchie
1. 2.
Matt Ritchie made his senior international debut on 25 March 2015, in a friendly match against Northern Ireland.
3.
Matthew Thomas Ritchie was born on 10 September 1989 in Gosport, Hampshire.
4.
Matt Ritchie had been involved in Portsmouth's academy since he turned 13, previously playing football locally in Gosport, starting at the age of six.
5.
Matt Ritchie played 79 minutes but was then substituted for Frederic Piquionne.
6.
Matt Ritchie made his Football League debut against Rotherham United on 27 September 2008, coming on as a late substitute.
7.
Matt Ritchie made clear his wishes to extend the loan deal until the end of the season.
8.
On 1 September 2009, Matt Ritchie signed on loan until 31 December, although County wanted to extend his loan deal.
9.
Matt Ritchie's form helped the side to top the Championship and won him international recognition with Scotland.
10.
Matt Ritchie's form saw him voted the Football League's best player in a poll by FourFourTwo magazine.
11.
On 1 July 2016, Matt Ritchie signed a five-year contract with newly relegated Newcastle United, becoming the third signing under manager Rafael Benitez.
12.
Matt Ritchie was involved in two penalty related incidents over the course of the season.
13.
On 5 April 2017, against Burton Albion, Matt Ritchie scored a penalty, but it was not awarded due to encroachment by Dwight Gayle.
14.
However, referee Keith Stroud awarded a direct free kick to Burton, rather than allowing Matt Ritchie to retake the penalty.
15.
Matt Ritchie's season was ended by suspension, when he argued with a match official after a home draw with Leeds United.
16.
Matt Ritchie scored sixteen goals in all competitions, with only Gayle having netted more for the club throughout the season.
17.
Matt Ritchie was then credited with the assists for the goals scored by Jamaal Lascelles and Christian Atsu in wins over Swansea City and Stoke City.
18.
Matt Ritchie was taken off in the second half, much to his disapproval; his emotional outburst on the bench was captured on television cameras.
19.
On 18 January 2020, while celebrating Isaac Hayden's match winning injury time goal against Chelsea, Matt Ritchie, following tradition, kicked a corner flag, hitting a fan in the groin.
20.
On 29 May 2024, Newcastle announced Matt Ritchie would be leaving when his contract expired in the summer.
21.
Under FIFA eligibility rules, Matt Ritchie was eligible for the national teams of England, where he was born and raised, and Scotland, his father's native land.