Matt Ritchie had barely kicked a ball in anger for several months when the Newcastle United stalwart arranged to meet former Bournemouth team-mate Tommy Elphick for lunch a couple of weeks ago.
"I feel such a big part of it all," Ritchie told his friend as they discussed life at St James' Park.
It was an illuminating comment. Despite barely featuring under Eddie Howe in the second half of the season, in part because of injury, Ritchie has remained a key figure behind the scenes at Newcastle, whether it is helping to maintain standards around the training ground or selflessly pushing and supporting his team-mates.
