Newcastle United striker Callum Wilson has spoken highly of teammate Matt Ritchie, in conversation with Penalty.
The Magpies forward says his colleague is a “positive influence” in his life and always makes him “strive for more”.
Wilson and Ritchie go back a number of years.
Both players helped Bournemouth win promotion from the Championship under Eddie Howe in 2015.
They then kept the Cherries in the Premier League the season after.
Ritchie swapped the south coast for Tyneside in the summer of 2016.
Meanwhile, Wilson left for Newcastle in September 2020, after Bournemouth dropped to the Championship.
Wilson and Ritchie have played 88 games together for both clubs, as per Transfermarkt.
On Penalty, the Newcastle striker named Howe and Ritchie as two of his best friends from the game.
“I’ve known him (Howe) for eight years and he’s very good at keeping me grounded,” he said.
“He’s a big influence in my life.
“Matt Ritchie is also a positive influence in my life and is always making me strive for more.
“It shows how in football you can form friendships that last forever.”
‘Always barking at other people and stuff’
Wilson has also joked about his teammate in the past, testament to their friendship.
In an interview on Sky Sports Football’s YouTube channel, Wilson and Joe Willock were asked if they think their teammate looks like Gordon Ramsay.
“I actually call him that sometimes,” Wilson said. “We were at Bournemouth together and we used to say he’s like an angry Gordon Ramsay.
“I think his mannerisms and the way he carries himself as well, always barking at other people and stuff on the training field.”
It’s great to get an insight into Wilson’s personal life and how he has forged good friendships with colleagues.
Newcastle is a club with a lot of camaraderie and it shows by how they play and where they are in the league.
Long may it continue.
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