Jamaal Lascelles is Newcastle United’s captain, but he is not the only leader at St James’ Park.
It is only in recent weeks that Lascelles has reclaimed the captain’s armband at Newcastle. It has usually been worn by Kieran Trippier, who has led the side while Lascelles has been on the bench.
They have dovetailed brilliantly, and make up two fifths of the leadership group that Eddie Howe has got. They are joined by Callum Wilson, Dan Burn and Matt Ritchie, who are also trusted lieutenants of the Newcastle manager.
Out of the five players in the leadership group, Ritchie plays the least. It was a surprise to see him stay at the club beyond last season, and he is yet to play a single minute of the new campaign, appearing on the bench just three times.
But while the £10million man barely plays, Ritchie still has a huge role at Newcastle United. Howe has previously spoke about how influential the 34-year-old is behind the scenes, and now Lascelles has shared what his teammate does so well.
Jamaal Lascelles praises ‘amazing’ Matt Ritchie
Lascelles has spoke to Newcastle United’s official website, and discussed the club’s leadership group.
“We [the leadership group] all chip in with different ideas and get together rather than it just being one person making the decisions for the whole team,” he said.
“Everybody knows their role and everyone is an important player in the group. There’s no individuals. That’s massive.
“I’m learning all the time from those boys as well. Matt Ritchie has tons of experience and is amazing with the younger lads. Callum Wilson is super professional, doing everything correctly, and leads by example along with Dan Burn and Kieran has all that experience and accolades during his career.”
Ritchie has an important role at Newcastle United
It is great to hear that Ritchie has a huge influence over the young players at Newcastle United. 22-year-old Anthony Gordon even spoke earlier this year about how helpful Ritchie was in him settling in after his move from Everton.
Eddie Howe has made a real effort to give youth a chance, with Elliot Anderson becoming a fully fledged first-team player and Lewis Miley emerging on the scene. Those players have earned their opportunities, becoming trusted members of Howe’s squad.
Their composure and influence at senior level may have been aided by Ritchie, who Lascelles has described as ‘amazing’ when it comes to helping the club’s youngsters.
Ritchie is a fantastic professional who leads by example, and he is certainly someone who the young players should be learning from.
It is great to hear how influential Ritchie is, especially with how committed the club are to nurturing young talent and helping them rise through the ranks.
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