Paul Ritchie (footballer born 1975)

Football player infobox
playername = Paul Ritchie


fullname = Paul Simon Ritchie
height = height|ft=5|in=11
nickname =
dateofbirth = birth date and age|1975|8|21
cityofbirth = Kirkcaldy
countryofbirth = Scotland
currentclub =
clubnumber =
position = Centre back
years = 1992–1999
1999–2000
2000
2000–2003
2002
2003
2003–2004 2004–2006
2006–2007
2007–
clubs = Hearts
Bolton Wanderers
Rangers
Manchester City
Portsmouth (loan)
Derby County (loan)
Walsall
Dundee United
AC Omonia
Dundee
caps(goals) = 133 (6) 014 (0) 000 (0) 020 (0) 012 (0) 007 (0) 033 (1) 045 (0)
002 (0)
00
nationalyears =
1999–2004
nationalteam = Scotland U21
Scotland
nationalcaps(goals) =
007 (1)
pcupdate = 17:53, 21 August 2006 (UTC)
ntupdate = 17:53, 21 August 2006 (UTC)

Paul Simon Ritchie (born August 21, 1975 in Kirkcaldy, Fife) is a Scottish international footballer who most recently played with Cypriot club Omonia Nicosia. He now works with Dundee as a coach and under 19s team manager. [ [http://www.thecourier.co.uk/output/2007/06/26/sportstory9908257t0.asp Ritchie appears on Dens radar] , "The Courier", June 26 2007.]

Club career

Beginning his career with Heart of Midlothian in 1992, Ritchie quickly gained a reputation as a promising defender, gaining a regular first team place and winning Scotland under-21 caps. The highlight of his time at Hearts was undoubtedly the club's Scottish Cup win in 1998. Persistent speculation linked him with a move to Rangers, particularly with his Hearts contract due to expire in 2000. The Tynecastle club, however, were unwilling to allow him to move to a rival cheaply, and he spent time with Bolton Wanderers on a short term contract and appeared in both the FA Cup and League Cup Semi Finals before finally joining Rangers on a Bosman free transfer in June 2000.

Bizarrely, Rangers manager Dick Advocaat then elected to sell Ritchie to Manchester City for a fee of £500,000 just two months later, without him ever playing a first team match for the club. Ritchie would spend three years with City, but struggled throughout to earn a regular place in their team, spending time out on loan with Portsmouth and Derby County. In August 2003 he left on a free transfer and joined Walsall, where despite suffering relegation he was at least able to play regular first team football again, forcing himself back into the international reckoning with some inspirational performances. However, whilst at Walsall he was caught up in a contract dispute with owner Jeff Bonser, indirectly leading to the dismissal of Saddler's manager Colin Lee.

In the summer of 2004 he moved on again, signing a short term contract with Dundee United, which was later extended despite injury problems limiting his appearances at first. For a while he was regularly captaining the team, but in April 2006 United manager Craig Brewster announced Ritchie was free to leave the club at the end of the season, despite having a year of his contract left to run. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/d/dundee_utd/4897128.stm Tannadice trio told to leave club] , BBC Sport, 10 April 2006.] His departure was finally confirmed in August 2006. He then moved to Omonia Nicosia but left at the end of the season. Currently Paul Ritchie is contracted to Dundee as a Player/Coach.

International career

Ritchie represented Scotland seven times. He made his debut in a friendly win against Germany in April 1999. His next cap against the Czech Republic saw him score his only international goal. Within a year he had taken his cap total to six, but thereafter a lack of first team football at Manchester City saw him drop out of contention. He won only one more cap, against Wales in 2004 following some fine displays for Walsall.

Honours

* Scottish Cup winner 1997-98, runner-up: 2004-05

References

External links

*soccerbase|id=9201
* [http://www.scottishfa.co.uk/player_details.cfm?playerid=11506&CFID=2259475&CFTOKEN=65008486 Scottish FA profile]
* [http://www.londonhearts.com/scores/players/ritchiepaul.html London Hearts profile]