Paul Merson has praised Matt Ritchie for his role in Newcastle United’s 1-0 win over Leicester City on Friday evening.
The Scottish international delivered an inch perfect cross for Ayoze Perez to nod home the goal that would eventually make the difference, and Merson singled him out for his efforts.
Speaking on Soccer Saturday (Sky Sports News, April 13th, 12.15pm), he said: “When you’ve got Ritchie out there on the left, he doesn’t mess about, he doesn’t mess about.
“He gets the ball, gets it out of his feet and he whips a great ball in.
“Everything about him. Perez knows Ritchie isn’t messing about, he knows he’s crossing that.”
OPINION
Ritchie doesn’t always get the credit he deserves on Tyneside. The wide man has done a remarkable job of converting himself into a left wing-back after spending the majority of his career on the right wing, and yet he has made the transition with ease, excelling from almost his first game in the new role. His work last night was simply sublime, and the delivery he put in for Perez has rightly drawn a lot of praise from pundits and fans alike. There’s a real directness to his play, a desire to get to the byline and whip in crosses. When you add to that the fact that he has brought a grit and solidity to the left side of defence, you really have to say that Benitez’s decision to move him looks like something of a masterstroke. His assist against Leicester could just prove to be one of the defining moments in Newcastle’s season.
