The lad from Gosport, Portsmouth supporter and ex-Newcastle favourite on brink of impressive career landmark
It was a career which kicked off with a four-minute cameo for Dagenham & Redbridge and would take in the Premier League, Wembley finals and international recognition.
He also featured in all four divisions of the Premier League and Football League by the age of 20, while was crowned Pompey’s Young Player of the Season without having played a first-team match for them.
Now Matt Ritchie is on the brink of a special landmark.
Saturday’s visit of Coventry to Fratton Park marks the Gosport lad’s 500th league appearance, fittingly in the colours of his beloved Pompey.
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It was 16 years ago when his Football League debut arrived against Rotherham during an initial one-month loan with League Two Daggers.
At the time of his September 2008 arrival, manager John Still said of the 19-year-old: ‘I've watched him a few times and I like what I've seen. He's progressed from their academy and I know Harry Redknapp rates him highly.
‘I'm pleased that Harry's agreed to loan him to us initially for a month.’
The match finished 1-1, with former Pompey striker Mark Burchill netting a late leveller for Rotherham - and Ritchie replacing Richard Graham in the 86th minute.
In the following match, the youngster was handed his full Football League debut - and scored in a 2-0 victory at Rochdale.
Richie made it two goals in his opening three games when he then netted nine minutes into his full home bow in a 2-0 victory against a Barnet team containing future Pompey player Joe Devera.
Unsurprisingly, the loan was extended until the end of the season, with the attacker totalling 12 goals in 41 appearances as the Daggers finished just one point outside the play-offs,
Ritchie was rewarded with a new two-year deal and named as the Blues’ Young Player of the Year at their 2008-09 end-of-season awards held at HMS Nelson, despite having never played for Pompey.
Indeed, he would subsequently represent Notts County and Swindon before finally making his Pompey debut in April 2010.
Recalled on a loan spell at Swindon by Avram Grant, he was an unused substitute at Spurs and then against Blackburn, before being handed a start on the left flank at Wigan.
Joel Ward started at left-back, while Marlon Pack was included in his maiden first-team squad and named on the bench for the goalless draw.
Following the Blues’ relegation, Ritchie lined-up left-back against Coventry in August 2010 by new manager Steve Cotterill for their Championship opener.
The 2-0 defeat meant the youngster had played in the Premier League, Championship, League One and League Two within a year and 10 months.
Ritchie would be involved in squads for 13 of the 14 opening matches - then never played for the Blues again. At least in his first spell.
Named as an unused substitute in a 2-2 draw at Middlesbrough in October 2010 - in which David Nugent and Liam Lawrence scored - he could never have realised it would be almost 14 years before next involved with the Blues.
Another loan to Swindon became permanent, before highly successful spells at Bournemouth, Newcastle and international recognition with Scotland.
And, at the age of 35, Ritchie is now poised to make his 500th league appearance.