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Whenever there is a debate about influential managers, Rafa Benitez’s name inevitably crops up at some point.

Paolo di Canio’s generally does not.

The Italian is a controversial figure - and he is certainly not liked across Tyneside - yet the Italian played a vital role in harnessing the talent of Newcastle United’s shining attacking light. Without Di Canio’s influence at Swindon Town, Matt Ritchie may never have realised his unique potential.

The ‘Italian mentality’, as the Magpies winger describes it, broadened the Scotland winger’s mind and revolutionised his approach to professional football.

“Di Canio had a really big influence on my career,” the 27-year-old explains.

“It was a stage at my career when I’d come through the ranks at Portsmouth as a kid, it didn’t quite happen for me and I moved to Swindon. When Di Canio arrived, he brought with him the Italian mentality.

“It was completely different to anything I’d ever experienced. I had never come across this sort of approach before but I really bought into it - the strict fitness regime, training every day and diet was massive for him.

“He didn’t just tell us what we should be eating, he educated us on why we should be eating those things.

“I really took it on board and since then I’ve always continued what I did under him, tried to be the fittest I can be and tried to eat right.

“That has really stood me in good stead since.”

Before Di Canio arrived on the scene, Ritchie’s sweet tooth would often get the better of him. His football was suffering as a result - but ex-Sunderland boss Di Canio changed all of that.

Judging by the ground Ritchie has covered for United already this season, Di Canio has left a lasting legacy on the winger.

“Eddie Howe was unbelievable for me in a different way,” Ritchie adds.

“Di Canio was fantastic for me mentality-wise; he gave me the desire to progress further and the belief in myself that I could play at a higher level.

“But Howe, as a coach, I’ve never seen anyone work as hard as he does on the training pitch.”

Having worked with vastly different managerial figures in Di Canio and Howe, and learned so much from both, when the phone rang over the summer and Benitez offered to further his footballing education on Tyneside, Ritchie jumped at the chance.

“The pedigree he has got is second to none and, if that doesn’t inspire you, I don’t know what will,” Ritchie declares enthusiastically.

“I’ve already learned so much in two months - I’ve learned different things. It’s more of a European style of playing, with different tactics installed all the time.

“It’s really enjoyable and I’m extremely lucky.”

Benitez’s success and standing in the game pricked Ritchie’s interest in joining United, but it was during that phonecall when the winger’s mind was really made up.

The vision Benitez had for the Magpies, and for Ritchie’s role in his side, enthused the Scotland international and convinced him to swap Premier League AFC Bournemouth for Championship Newcastle.

“He told me that he felt he could teach me different styles of play. A stereotypical British player is very much known for their hard work and a good mental approach.

“He obviously saw that, as well as some quality in me which he thought he could harness.”

Already, the ‘Benitez effect’ on Ritchie has been huge - just as it has been on the football club as a whole.

“I have learned already that you need to be aware of what’s going on in a game, how it develops and that tactically we are going to change match by match.

“I’ve been used to playing a similar way for a team throughout my career but under this manager we’re developing different gameplans and you have to understand tactically how that works.

“It’s a different style of coaching to anything I’ve experienced before but it’s one that’s very successful and makes you want to learn even more.

“I’ve been really lucky with coaches throughout my career so far - and I’m really looking forward to working further with the manager here as well.”

Under Benitez, Ritchie has operated on both the left and the right - and has often switched between the two during the same game.

His preferred position is on the right, however, as a left-footed ‘inverted winger’ - again a product of Di Canio.

“I’ll play anywhere - as long as I’m on the pitch I’ll be happy.

“My preferred position would be the right-hand side but I’ll play wherever the manager wants me to play.

“I’d played on the left-hand side growing up, as a striker and as a central-midfielder as well.

“Then when I went to Swindon, Di Canio played with inverted wingers so I switched over to the right-hand side and it felt fantastic.”

It is now almost three months since Ritchie signed for United in a £12million deal and last week he finally moved into his new house on Tyneside.

His wife, Emma, and his six-month-old son, Harry, have now relocated to the North East - much to his relief.

“I moved into my house last week so that was really nice to get out of a hotel and a little more settled.

“It was tough on my wife and the baby at first because they were flying back and forth from Southampton to Newcastle but now we’re in the house and it’s a lot easier.

“Hopefully Harry is just about starting to come through the sleepless nights and I’ll be able to get a decent night’s rest soon!”

Unfortunately for Ritchie, who likes to keep his hair preened, his barber of 14 years could not relocate to the North East as well.

“My hairdresser used to come round to my house because I had been seeing the same barber since I was about 13 - but obviously no more,” he said.

Thankfully, Ritchie’s United teammates came up with a Tyneside alternative.

“I have had to find a new barber and I’ve been lucky. The lads recommended a few and I’ve gone with a lad called ‘StevieCuts’,” he said.

He points to his bonnet and adds: “He’s brilliant - as you can see.”

And ‘brilliant’ is also a word Newcastle fans use to describe Ritchie. Or, more precisely, ‘magic’ as it goes in the song which the travelling Toon Army must have chanted more than just about any other so far this campaign.

He has become a firm fans’ favourite already.

“It’s fantastic to hear the fans singing my name and to realise you’re appreciated. Derby away was the first time I really heard it in a game itself and it makes you feel brilliant on the pitch,” Ritchie says.

“It’s much appreciated.”

As far as the lyrics of the song go, Ritchie admits that he does not actually own a ‘magic hat’ - but he might just have his own solution for that.

“I’m not really one for hats - I’ll start wearing a cap! But seriously, to get more than 52,000 at St James’ Park for a Championship match is unbelievable.

“I’ve worked my way up the leagues over the last few years after starting at Portsmouth, when we drew in 20,000 crowds.

“Everyone knows that Fratton Park, when Pompey were in the Premier League, it was absolutely rocking but when you’re winning at St James’ I have never had such a buzz and a feeling like it.”

Yet such fanatical support brings with it immense pressure. Ritchie was signed to bring goals and assists to this United side - he netted 15 times and provided a further 17 during the 2014-15 Championship-winning campaign at Bournemouth - and he is starting to do that, both scoring and assisting during the 2-0 EFL Cup victory over Wolverhampton Wanderers on Tuesday night.

But does that enormous expectation daunt him?

“I thrive on pressure,” he replies.

“That was another reason I wanted to play at this huge club with lots of fans cheering you on and bringing a heck of a lot of pressure.

“It’s something that I believe brings the best out of me.

“I’m loving it. I feel like if I just relax, play my own game and just let it happen then I can bring some quality by providing goals and assists.”

In fact, not only does the pressure not daunt Ritchie, it actually helped motivate him to move to St James’ Park in the first place.

“The reason I joined this football club is not because of the situation we’re in now - don’t get me wrong it’s a challenge that I relish and that I think everyone at the club is relishing.

“But the reason I wanted to join Newcastle United is because it’s a massive football club and when it’s back in the Premier League it will get back to being a big, big top-flight club.

“You just have to look at the manager and the squad he is assembling to see that.

“I’m delighted to be part of what is going on here and hopefully I can have an impact to help get Newcastle back to where we should be.”

Under Benitez’s tutelage, the winger certainly has the quality to lead Newcastle’s promotion charge.