MATT Ritchie said last night that he was honoured to be named the Scottish Football Writers Association international player of the year. The award, which will be presented in a ceremony at the Glasgow City Hotel on May 15, caps a fine season for the Bournemouth winger, who made himself indispensable for his country at the same time as comfortably maintaining his club's Barclays Premier League status.
While there was disappointment for Gordon Strachan's side when they failed to reach Euro 2016, Ritchie now has three goals in eight appearances for his country, most notably a fine strike against Poland in October which temporarily breathed life into our Euro 2016 hopes. He joins a list of recent winners which includes Ikechi Anya, Gary Caldwell, Jordan Rhodes and Allan McGregor.
“It’s brilliant, a great honour and a lovely surprise," said Ritchie. "Thanks to all who voted for me. I’m aware of the winners of the award in previous years and it’s nice to follow in their footsteps.”
The 26-year-old, a consistent performer who has been linked with bigger clubs south of the border, said that representing Scotland has been "one of the highlights of his life" and said he wanted to keep improving as Scotland enter a World Cup qualifying campaign which includes England. "I’m not taking anything for granted," he said. "I still need to keep my foot on the gas and keep performing to a high level every week for Bournemouth. I feel I’m improving year on year, but want to add more consistency to my game.
“I will always owe the manager [Gordon Strachan] for selecting me for his international squad," he added. "It came from nowhere. It’s been one of the highlights of my life. That got everything started and that sticks out for me. To score against Poland at Hampden was also really special. I loved that goal but it was just a pity we didn’t win the game.
“Yes, not qualifying was a massive disappointment. We were so close at one point and then it never happened. We need to learn from it, remember the plus points and make sure we don’t repeat the negatives. The World Cup qualifiers start in September and we are in a tough group. England are the top seeds but we can compete with them, for sure. What we need to do is make sure we are all pulling in the same direction, stay focused and believe."
*Matt Ritchie has been voted the Scottish Football Writers’ Association International Player of the Year. He will receive his award, sponsored by William Hill, at the Glasgow City Hotel on May 15.
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