Newcastle United are safe for another season in the Premier League.
The Magpies have fended off the challenge from Fulham, who became the final team to be relegated following their defeat to Burnley on Monday.
Steve Bruce has achieved what he was brought in to do, despite things looking very bleak at one point.
The 3-0 defeat to Brighton was a deeply concerning result, and it was hard to see the club pulling away from danger.
But following that horrific result and performance, one man came back into the team and had a seriously positive impact that appeared to kickstart Newcastle’s end-of-season revival.
Matt Ritchie has started every league game since the loss to the Seagulls on March 20, and the Magpies have lost just once since.
Not only did his urgency and professionalism seem to spread throughout the team, Ritchie also provided a few crucial assists from left-back.
Amid continued speculation about his future (Shields Gazette), these last few weeks have shown how invaluable he is to Newcastle.
Keep Ritchie at all costs
Ritchie may not be an absolutely top-class Premier League player, but he doesn’t have to be in order to make Newcastle a better team.
The man is a leader, and is clearly a well-respected figure in the dressing room.
It is no coincidence that results have picked up when they have needed to with him being in the team.
The last few weeks have been all about fight and showing heart.
No one brings those things in greater capacity than £45,000-a-week star Ritchie (Spotrac), who the club must now fight to keep hold of.
Newcastle are no strangers to player blunders in recent times; not signing Salomon Rondon permanently, and letting the likes of Mikel Merino and Chancel Mbemba go were oversights, and Ritchie cannot become another such case.
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