Matt Ritchie joined Newcastle United from Bournemouth in the summer of 2016, and scored 12 Championship goals to help the Magpies return to the top flight.

Ritchie then managed three goals in 35 Premier League appearances for Newcastle last term, and has contributed one assist in three appearances for the club this season.

Newcastle have only collected one point from their four Premier League matches during the 2018-19 campaign, but three of those fixtures have been against Tottenham Hotspur, Chelsea and Manchester City.

It does not get any easier for Rafael Benitez's side as they return to Premier League action after the international break with a home game against Arsenal this weekend.

[brid autoplay="true" video="288872" player="12034" title="Rafas Pub Facts Murray The Magician & Desperately Seeking Zaha"]

Newcastle will again be looking to the likes of Ritchie for inspiration, and the club's supporters have been paying tribute to the Scotland international ahead of the match.

Indeed, the 5ft 8in ace turned 29 on Monday, and a tweet from Newcastle's official account prompted a lot of responses from the club's fans, a selection of which can be seen below:

[ad_pod ]