I was right to come and I’ll stay – Ritchie

MATT Ritchie has no regrets over his decision to leave AFC Bournemouth for Newcastle United – and he wants to stay at St James’ Park for years to come.

The 29-year-old will face his former club on Saturday when the Magpies welcome the high-flying Cherries to Tyneside in the Premier League.

It is two and a half years since Ritchie departed the south-coast outfit to join Newcastle who, at the time, had just been relegated to the Championship.

Some pundits criticised Ritchie’s decision to leave a Premier League club for the Magpies, but the winger was always confident United would be promoted at the first time of asking – and he was keen to play a pivotal role in helping Rafa Benitez bring Newcastle back to the top flight.

Since then Ritchie has established himself as a key firstteam player at Newcastle, having scored 15 goals in 84 league appearances for the Magpies.

And, despite speculation over the summer linking the winger with a lucrative move to Stoke City, Ritchie stresses he is happy on Tyneside and wants to see out the final two and a half years of his United contract.

“It certainly doesn’t frustrate me to see them doing better than us at this time. Far from it, in fact,” Ritchie replied when asked about his former club Bournemouth’s success, given that the Cherries are currently sixth in the Premier League.

“The way they’ve started the season really pleases me. I couldn’t be happier for them. To see so many people I left behind doing well, that’s great.

“It was my decision to leave Bournemouth because Newcastle was the place I wanted to be – and it’s the same now.

“It’s a challenge I have relished taking on and I still am. For all the good times I had at Bournemouth, not for one moment have I regretted the move.”

Ritchie scored 31 goals in 142 appearances for the Cherries during a three-and-a-half-year stay.

During that time Bournemouth rose from League One to the Premier League, and Ritchie admits he is delighted to see his former club continuing to progress.

“I take an enormous amount of pleasure watching them on Match of the Day and seeing lads I spent so much time with doing so well,” Ritchie added.

“We were such a tight group at Bournemouth. It makes me so proud knowing I played my part in getting them to where they are.”