New Portsmouth signing vows to ‘fight for badge’ as Hull City complete ambitious double move

New Portsmouth recruit Matt Ritchie has promised fans that he will “give everything to make the team better this season” after making a return to the club where it all started 16 years ago.

Ritchie graduated from the Pompey academy in 2008 but was very much a peripheral player at the time as he managed just seven league appearances in three seasons. 

After three successful loan spells at Dagenham & Redbridge, Notts County and Swindon Town he completed a permanent move to the Robins in 2011, but is now best known for his successful stints at both Bournemouth and Newcastle United where he twice achieved promotion to the Premier League.

The Gosport-born winger’s return to Fratton Park will offer a sense of nostalgia, having joined the academy 22 years ago when he was just a teenager. However, Richie insists he is not here to reminisce and is fully focused on winning football matches. Starting with today’s opener against promotion hopefuls Leeds United.

Speaking with BBC Radio Solent, he explained: "I have some great memories with this club but I want to park that for now.

"The future of this club is what matters. I’m not here to reminisce, I’m here to play football and win games, that’s my main ambition because I want to add to this team and football club. I’ll fight for the badge.

"My main focus is supporting the team and making it better. I’ll give everything to do that."

Ritchie has played the majority of his career as a right sided winger and was a huge part of Newcastle’s early success under Rafael Benitez as they lifted the Championship in 2016/17. However, towards the end of his St James’ Park career he was often deployed as a wing-back due to his tireless workrate and experience.

John Mousinho has hinted that he will move Ritchie back into an attacking role but the 16-time Scotland international insists he’s just focused on doing his best for the team.

Ritchie added: "It’s a decision for the manager rather than myself if I play.

"Games like this on on Saturday is one of the reasons why the boys worked so hard last season.

"We’ll go there with a plan to try and win the game, we want to get off to a good start and then kick on. Who knows where we could end up."

Hull City complete ambitious double signing

Portsmouth’s Championship rivals Hull City have secured the double signing of Liam Millar and Finley Burns as they aim to build a team that can break into the play-off positions.

Millar, a 32-time Canadian international, started his career in Liverpool’s youth academy and went on to have loan spells at Kilmarnock and Charlton before joining Swiss giants FC Basel.

The attacking midfielder played 59 games in Switzerland before spending last season out on loan at Preston North End in the Championship, in a year which saw him register five goals and five assists in 36 games. He joins Hull on a permanent transfer for an undisclosed fee and has agreed to sign a three-year deal with the club.

Burns, is a 6ft 5 inc centre back from the Manchester City academy, who has made just one appearance for Pep Guardiola’s side. He has represented England at every age group from U15 to U20 and enjoyed a successful loan spell at Swansea City last season in this division. He joins Hull on a season-long loan. Both stars will be pushing to make their debuts in an away trip to Bristol City this afternoon.