Newcastle United star Matt Ritchie has been included in Sky Sports pundit Phil Babb’s Premier League Team of the Week.
The 29-year-old midfielder produced an excellent cross in order for Ayoze Perez to score the winner in the 1-0 win over Leicester City on Friday night, and has recently been playing on the left hand side of the defence in a back five.
Ritchie – who is on £45,000-a-week [Spotrac] – joins the likes of Liverpool’s Virgil Van Dijk and Manchester City ace Kevin De Bruyne in the Sky Sports pundit’s line-up.
OPINION
It is no surprise in the slightest that Ritchie has made Babb’s Premier League team of the week this time around. There have been a few shaky moments for him this season, but the way he produced the cross for Perez’ goal on Friday was just jaw-dropping, it really was. The fact that he has made a big impression on Babb shows how much he influenced the result – without him, Newcastle would not be pretty much safe from the drop right now. He has grown over the course of the season, and has got better and better with every week. Yes, there have been moments where he has made key mistakes, but overall, it is safe to say that he is a firm favourite amongst the fans. He has been impressive on the left-side of the defence lately, and it is hard to see Rafa Benitez switching his role anytime soon.
