Mousinho makes ‘seven year’ Ritchie joke after Portsmouth win v Middlesbrough
Portsmouth boss John Mousinho joked he is hoping Matt Ritchie has “six or seven” more years in the tank at Portsmouth.
Ritchie, having arrived on a free from Newcastle United in the summer, has been an influential figure at Pompey throughout the campaign.
The Scotsman scored twice against Middlesbrough, securing a huge three points for Portsmouth in their fight to avoid relegation, with Mousinho hoping he can do that for many more years.
As quoted by BBC Sport [20 January], Mousinho said: “Since he’s come back into the side he’s given us a huge amount of energy and quality on the ball in the final third.
“It was a brilliant run and finish for the first goal and then more energy for the second, maybe more energy than you would expect for someone at the back end of his career – maybe he has six or seven years left in the tank!”
Matt Ritchie crucial to Portsmouth survival hopes
Not only has Ritchie contributed plenty on the pitch with his performances and work ethic, but his contributions off the pitch will undoubtedly have played just as much of a role behind the scenes.
Now 35 years old, Ritchie has a wealth of experience in English football, having made over 500 senior appearances in the English divisions, the majority of which came with Newcastle United.
Having started his career with Pompey, the Scotsman has made 33 appearances at Fratton Park, with Mousinho clearly eager to see that number increase over the coming seasons.
Whether he has seven more years in the tank is certainly up for debate, but with his work ethic and level of performance, you’d expect him to have plenty more to offer.
Of course, keeping him fit will be crucial with Pompey having already suffered a number of injury blows in the last few weeks and they simply cant afford any more.
In other Portsmouth news, Paddy Lane’s fate has been revealed after the forward suffered an injury.
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