We have our first Reading departure of the summer that isn’t related to a contract expiring or loan spell coming to an end. Matt Ritchie has today retired as a player and will return to AFC Bournemouth in a behind-the-scenes role, succeeding Simon Francis as technical director.
It’s not hugely surprising news from a Reading perspective, given Ritchie’s age (he’ll be 37 in September) and limited amount of game time last season. Although he managed 29 appearances in all competitions, his number of minutes
on the pitch only came to 897 – so that’s essentially half an hour of match action per game, for two thirds of the season.
He had his moments in a Reading shirt though, for sure. Ritchie’s one goal in a Royals shirt was a dramatic late winner at home to Bradford City. A week later he put in an excellent substitute appearance, setting up Kelvin Ehibhatiomhan twice at Kenilworth Road as the young striker completed his hat-trick in a similarly entertaining comeback victory.
Those assists brought him to six in the league for the season, ahead of Kamari Doyle (five) and Charlie Savage (four). Only Lewis Wing (obviously – 11) created more goals in League One for Reading.
Limited impact off the bench was pretty much as good as it got for Ritchie though, with the veteran winger never really properly getting into a groove. He agreed with that assessment, telling Reading:
“[The 2025/26 season] didn’t go how I really wanted it to go, through context and many reasons. It has been a frustrating season for me personally and for the team.
“I came in off the back of no pre-season, took time to get up and running before having a few knocks and hurdles to overcome. I didn’t get momentum how I would have liked. I felt that when I played, I showed glimpses that I can still play, but it wasn’t to be.”
Signing him in the first place made sense – Reading had a use for an experienced wide player in the 4-3-3 Noel Hunt used at the start of the season. However, tactically he wasn’t a great fit for the 4-2-3-1/3-2-4-1 that Leam Richardson typically used in 2025/26, with Reading’s wingers either needing to be direct, quick wing-backs or more intricate number 10s – neither of which role suited Ritchie.
Ritchie’s departure leaves Reading with three wingers contracted for 2026/27. Fellow former Portsmouth player Paddy Lane has two years left to run on his contract, while Daniel Kyerewaa and Randell Williams have one year each.
All the best to Matt in his retirement.
