.jpg) Ritchie playing forAFC Bournemouth in 2015 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Matthew Thomas Ritchie[1] | ||
| Date of birth | (1989-09-10)10 September 1989 (age 36)[2] | ||
| Place of birth | Gosport, England | ||
| Height | 5 ft 7 in (1.70 m)[3] | ||
| Position(s) | Right winger,wing-back | ||
| Team information | |||
Current team | Reading | ||
| Number | 30 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2002–2008 | Portsmouth | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 2008–2011 | Portsmouth | 7 | (0) |
| 2008–2009 | →Dagenham & Redbridge (loan) | 37 | (11) |
| 2009–2010 | →Notts County (loan) | 16 | (3) |
| 2010–2011 | →Swindon Town (loan) | 16 | (3) |
| 2011–2013 | Swindon Town | 91 | (23) |
| 2013–2016 | AFC Bournemouth | 130 | (31) |
| 2016–2024 | Newcastle United | 187 | (20) |
| 2024–2025 | Portsmouth | 39 | (5) |
| 2025– | Reading | 6 | (0) |
| International career | |||
| 2015–2018 | Scotland | 16 | (3) |
| * Club domestic league appearances and goals as of 26 October 2025 (UTC) | |||
Matthew Thomas Ritchie (born 10 September 1989) is a professionalfootballer who plays as awinger orwing-back forEFL League One clubReading. Ritchie represented theScotland national team from 2015 to 2018. Prior to joining his first club Portsmouth for a second spell in 2024, he played forSwindon Town,Bournemouth andNewcastle.
Although born and raised in England, Ritchie qualified to play forScotland through his Scottish father Alex. He made his senior international debut on 25 March 2015, in a friendly match againstNorthern Ireland.
Matthew Thomas Ritchie was born on 10 September 1989 in Gosport, Hampshire. His father Alex is fromEdinburgh, Scotland. Ritchie attendedBay House School.[4]
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] After signing his first professional contract with the club,[6] and a positive 2008–09 pre-season campaign, including ahat-trick in a 4–1 victory over hometown clubGosport Borough,[7] after the match, Ritchie said scoring a hat-trick was 'unreal'.[5]
He went on loan to Swindon Town in 2010 but due to Portsmouth's mounting injury list, he was recalled in March and was named on the bench for their 2–0Premier League loss at the hands ofTottenham Hotspur after making four appearances for Swindon. On 14 April, he made his League debut for Portsmouth in the game againstWigan Athletic. He played 79 minutes but was then substituted forFrédéric Piquionne. After the match, Ritchie admits making his Portsmouth debut was a dream come true.[8] At the end of the season, with Portsmouth's relegation from the Premier League confirmed, he signed a new two-year deal.[9]
For the2010–11 season, Ritchie was handed the number 5 shirt and was selected in Portsmouth's starting XI for their first match of the season atCoventry City.[10] However, he soon found himself out of the Portsmouth line-up and, with the club having disbanded its reserve team, managerSteve Cotterill agreed to loan out the player for fitness reasons.[11]
Ritchie played reserve and academy football at Pompey until late September and continued to impress until he was taken on a one-month loan deal byLeague Two clubDagenham & Redbridge.[12] He made his Football League debut againstRotherham United on 27 September 2008, coming on as a late substitute.[13] Ritchie scored on his first competitive start for theDaggers in a 2–0 win overRochdale.[14] He scored again in his next match, a 2–0 win overBarnet.[15]
Ritchie also made clear his wishes to extend the loan deal until the end of the season.[16] Dagenham announced on 30 December that the player would remain with the club until the end of the current season.[17] His impressive performances saw him rewarded with a new two-year deal at Portsmouth,[18] and their Young Player of the Season Award.[19]
On 28 July 2009, it was reported thatNotts County, were in talks withPortsmouth over a six-figure fee for his services, believed to be £100,000.[20] On 1 September 2009, Ritchie signed on loan until 31 December,[21] although County wanted to extend his loan deal.[22]
AfterDanny Wilson failed to secure Ritchie's services on a permanent deal during the transfer window, it was announced on 11 February 2010 thatSwindon Town had signed the midfielder on loan for the remainder of theseason.[23] He made his debut on 23 February againstStockport County after coming on forDanny Ward after 25 minutes.[24]
After making a brief appearance for Pompey on 4 October, Ritchie was loaned again to Swindon Town, on a one-month deal.[25] Two weeks later the deal was extended to two months.[26]
On 7 January 2011, Swindon Town signed Ritchie on a two-and-a-half-year deal for an undisclosed fee.[citation needed] He added to his tally with goals againstBournemouth in a 3–2 loss, a 4–1 loss toSouthampton, a 1–1 draw withHartlepool United and a 2–1 loss against Notts County. Despite Swindon Town being relegated to League Two, Ritchie was named the Robins' Player of the Season.[27]
Under managerPaolo Di Canio in League Two, he retained his first team place in the starting eleven and scoring form with ten goals that season. During the season, Ritchie was linked with League One clubs, with the likes of Bournemouth interested in signing the player.[28] After Bournemouth's bid for him was rejected, manager Di Canio said that he was worth about £2 million.[29]In March, he won the Football League Two Player of the Year for 2012.[30] With teammatePaul Caddis he was named in the PFA League Two Team of the Year.[31]
Ahead of a new season in League One, Swindon turned down a £900,000 offer from a League One club for Ritchie, insisting he would be sold for £2.5 million.[32] Shortly afterwards he signed a new contract, keeping him at the club until 2014.[33]
On 30 January 2013, Ritchie signed for Bournemouth on a three-and-a-half-year deal for £400,000.[34][35] After leaving Swindon Town, he said that he was surprised to leave the club and that he had left with a "heavy heart".[36] However, Di Canio claimed that the club sold Ritchie behind his back.[37]
He made his debut on 2 February in a 3–0 win overMilton Keynes Dons. Ritchie scored his first goal for his new team on 23 March in a 4–1 win overBury. That win was the first of an eight match run of successive wins, including a brace for Ritchie in a 3–1 victory overNotts County, that culminated in clinching promotion to the Championship.[38][39]
He was a key performer for Bournemouth during the 2014–15 season.[citation needed] His form helped the side to top the Championship and won him international recognition withScotland. By April, he had scored 11 goals and provided 13 assists for his team. Ritchie's form saw him voted theFootball League's best player in a poll byFourFourTwo magazine.[40]
On 19 September 2015, he scored his first ever goal in thePremier League, coming on for Bournemouth in a 2–0 home win againstSunderland.[41] On 25 October 2015, Ritchie scored his team's only goal of the game after just one minute, in Bournemouth's 5–1 drubbing byTottenham Hotspur.[42]
"I'm the penalty taker!Mitro is a striker, everyone wants to score as many goals as possible. I've been on penalties sinceDwight missed one early doors. I wasn't going to give it up."
On 1 July 2016, Ritchie signed a five-year contract with newly relegatedNewcastle United, becoming the third signing under managerRafael Benítez.[44] He made his debut for the club in a 1–0 loss toFulham, playing the full 90 minutes.[45] His first goal, a penalty, came two matches later in a 4–1 win overReading.[46] From then on, Ritchie would become the club's designated penalty taker and had a 100% success rate in all competitions, converting from the spot five times. He was involved in two penalty related incidents over the course of the season. On 25 October, he refused to hand the ball toAleksandar Mitrović, tucking it under his shirt, before scoring the third goal in a 6–0 win overPreston North End.[47] On 5 April 2017, againstBurton Albion, Ritchie scored a penalty, but it was not awarded due to encroachment byDwight Gayle. However, refereeKeith Stroud awarded a direct free kick to Burton, rather than allowing Ritchie to retake the penalty. Ultimately, it did not matter as he scored the winner anyway, to keep Newcastle in the promotion hunt.[48] Ritchie's season was ended by suspension, when he argued with a match official after a home draw withLeeds United.[49] Ritchie scored sixteen goals in all competitions, with only Gayle having netted more for the club throughout the season.
On 26 August, Ritchie assistedCiaran Clark for the second goal of the match, as Newcastle got their first win of the season, beatingWest Ham United 3–0.[50] He was then credited with the assists for the goals scored byJamaal Lascelles andChristian Atsu in wins overSwansea City andStoke City.[51][52] On 28 November, he assisted both Newcastle goals from set-pieces in a 2–2 draw withWest Bromwich Albion.[53] In the second half of the season, Ritchie scored three times, all in home wins overManchester United,Southampton andArsenal.[54][55][56]
On 11 August 2018, Ritchie set upJoselu for the equaliser, in a 2–1 home loss toTottenham Hotspur.[57] He was taken off in the second half, much to his disapproval; his emotional outburst on the bench was captured on television cameras.
In August 2019, he injured his ankle and was expected to be out of action for two months.[58]
In 2019–20, Ritchie celebrated goals by assertively kicking the corner flag.[59] On 18 January 2020, while celebratingIsaac Hayden's match winning injury time goal against Chelsea, Ritchie, following tradition, kicked a corner flag, hitting a fan in the groin.[59]
On 17 February 2024, Ritchie scored his first goal since 2020, a stoppage-time equaliser in a 2–2 draw against his former club Bournemouth.[60]
On 29 May 2024, Newcastle announced Ritchie would be leaving when his contract expired in the summer. During his eight years with the club, he made 215 appearances and scored 25 goals.[61]
In August 2024, Ritchie returned to his first clubPortsmouth signing a two-year deal, 13 years after he first left the club.[62]
On 10 August 2024, Ritchie made his debut in his second spell at Portsmouth againstLeeds United in the 3-3 away draw in theChampionship.
On 30 November 2024, he scored his first goal for the club away toSwansea City in a 2-2 draw.
On 18 January 2025, he scored his first goal at Fratton Park, scoring a brace in a 2-1 win againstMiddlesbrough.[63]
On 28 August 2025, Ritchie left Portsmouth after his contract was ended by mutual agreement.[64]
On 28 August 2025,Reading announced the signing of Ritchie to a two-year contract following his release fromPortsmouth.[65]
UnderFIFA eligibility rules, Ritchie was eligible for the national teams of England, where he was born and raised, and Scotland, his father's native land.[66] On 16 March 2015, he was called up to theScotland national football team for a friendly againstNorthern Ireland and aUEFA Euro 2016qualifier againstGibraltar. Ritchie made his debut against Northern Ireland on 25 March atHampden Park, and took the 85th-minute corner which set upChristophe Berra's header for the only goal of the game.[67] On 5 June he scored his first international goal, a 20-yard strike which was the only goal of a friendly victory overQatar atEaster Road inEdinburgh.[68] His second goal came in a European Championship qualifier againstPoland at Hampden Park on 8 October 2015, for which he won "Goal of the Year" award from theScottish FA.[69]
After being involved consistently for Scotland until the end of 2016, Ritchie withdrew from several subsequent squads due to injuries – either unable to play at all, precautions over recurrence or having to rest during international breaks to improve his condition – appearing just once in 2017 and once in 2018.[70][71][72][73] In November 2018, he requested not to be considered for selection for the 'foreseeable future' for reasons not disclosed by Scotland managerAlex McLeish.[74][75]
He married his wife, Emma, in May 2015. They have two children, including a son named Harry (born 2016).[76][77][78]
| Club | Season | League | FA Cup | League Cup | Other | Total | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Portsmouth | 2008–09[79] | Premier League | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2009–10[80] | Premier League | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 2 | 0 | ||
| 2010–11[81] | Championship | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 8 | 0 | ||
| Total | 7 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | ||
| Dagenham & Redbridge (loan) | 2008–09[79] | League Two | 37 | 11 | 3 | 1 | — | 1[a] | 0 | 41 | 12 | |
| Notts County (loan) | 2009–10[80] | League Two | 16 | 3 | 2 | 0 | — | 1[a] | 0 | 19 | 3 | |
| Total | 53 | 14 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 60 | 15 | ||
| Swindon Town (loan) | 2009–10[80] | League One | 4 | 0 | — | — | — | 4 | 0 | |||
| Swindon Town | 2010–11[81] | League One | 36 | 7 | 3 | 1 | — | 2[a] | 0 | 41 | 8 | |
| 2011–12[82] | League Two | 40 | 10 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 6[a] | 0 | 52 | 11 | |
| 2012–13[38] | League One | 27 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 32 | 9 | |
| Total | 107 | 26 | 8 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 129 | 28 | ||
| AFC Bournemouth | 2012–13[38] | League One | 17 | 3 | — | — | — | 17 | 3 | |||
| 2013–14[83] | Championship | 30 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 32 | 9 | ||
| 2014–15[84] | Championship | 46 | 15 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | — | 51 | 15 | ||
| 2015–16[85] | Premier League | 37 | 4 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 42 | 4 | ||
| Total | 130 | 31 | 7 | 0 | 5 | 0 | — | 142 | 31 | |||
| Newcastle United | 2016–17[86] | Championship | 42 | 12 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 2 | — | 48 | 16 | |
| 2017–18[87] | Premier League | 35 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 38 | 3 | ||
| 2018–19[88] | Premier League | 36 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | — | 39 | 3 | ||
| 2019–20[89] | Premier League | 18 | 2 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 23 | 2 | ||
| 2020–21[90] | Premier League | 18 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 21 | 0 | ||
| 2021–22[91] | Premier League | 18 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | — | 19 | 0 | ||
| 2022–23[92] | Premier League | 7 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | — | 10 | 0 | ||
| 2023–24[93] | Premier League | 13 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 1 | |
| Total | 187 | 20 | 17 | 3 | 11 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 215 | 25 | ||
| Portsmouth | 2024–25[94] | Championship | 39 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | — | 41 | 5 | |
| Reading | 2025–26[95] | League One | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| Career total | 524 | 96 | 38 | 6 | 26 | 2 | 10 | 0 | 599 | 104 | ||
| National team | Year | Apps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Scotland | 2015 | 7 | 2 |
| 2016 | 7 | 1 | |
| 2017 | 1 | 0 | |
| 2018 | 1 | 0 | |
| Total | 16 | 3 | |
| No. | Date | Venue | Cap | Opponent | Score | Result | Competition |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 June 2015 | Easter Road, Edinburgh, Scotland | 3 |  Qatar | 1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly |
| 2 | 7 October 2015 | Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland | 6 |  Poland | 1–1 | 2–2 | UEFA Euro 2016 qualification |
| 3 | 29 March 2016 | Hampden Park, Glasgow, Scotland | 8 |  Denmark | 1–0 | 1–0 | Friendly |
Notts County
Swindon Town
AFC Bournemouth
Newcastle United
Individual
