The Newcastle United players have been naming their unsung hero for the 2022/23 season, and Anthony Gordon and Bruno Guimaraes agree that the honour should go to Matt Ritchie.
January signing Gordon has heaped praise on the 33-year-old, who is set to stay at Newcastle beyond this summer. His contract was due to expire, but the club have triggered a one-year extension to keep him at St James’ Park.
That will delight Eddie Howe, who has been very open about his desire to see Ritchie remain on Tyneside, despite the midfielder barely playing. He made 10 appearances in all competitions for the Magpies, only two of which were starts.
But Ritchie has remained very influential, particularly behind the scenes. He can always be seen with the starting XI as the players warm up for games, while his teammates cannot speak highly enough of his role and how important he is.
Gordon has only been with Newcastle since the start of the year, but it has not taken him long to recognise the role that Ritchie plays, and he has named him as the club’s unsung hero this season.
Gordon says Ritchie is Newcastle’s unsung hero
In a video on the club’s official YouTube channel, the players were asked to name who their unsung hero of the season is, picking out the player who perhaps deserves more praise for the their contributions.
When it was Gordon’s turn to answer, the honour could only go to one man.
“For me it would be Matt Ritchie, 100%,” he said.
“Just what he brings off the pitch and even when you’re on it. He’s just shouting and giving you advice on the training pitch, in games. You can hear him while you’re playing in games over the crowd. It’s crazy.
“He helps me a lot since I’ve come here so I’d definitely go Matt Ritchie.”
Bruno agrees with Gordon, and also named Ritchie as his unsung player of the season.
“The player I would say is Matt Ritchie,” he said.
“He’s very important for us. He is a leader. He is always speaking in the changing room.”
Ritchie has a vital role despite barely playing now
So many players spoke highly of Ritchie, making it easy to see why the club were so keen to keep him around. He might not play as much as he used to, but he is just as important as he has ever been.
It is great to hear Gordon speak about how Ritchie has helped him settle, as it is important that new arrivals get help as they adapt to life at a new club in a new part of the world.
It has not been easy for Gordon since he swapped Everton for Newcastle, and he has openly admitted that last season was really challenging for him. However, the hope is that he will become a key player in the 2023/24 campaign.
But for all the challenges, Gordon has received help from Ritchie, and the young winger clearly appreciates it.
When Gordon does burst into life on Tyneside, he will likely look back on those first few months and fondly remember the role that Ritchie played in him settling in.
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