Matt Ritchie refused to be put up for interview by Newcastle after training ground bust-up in which he called Steve Bruce a coward... with out-of-favour winger telling club he did not want to be quizzed following fallout in which manager barged into him

Matt Ritchie refused to be put up for interview by Newcastle United after his training-ground bust-up with Steve Bruce.

It is understood the club wanted the winger to speak to rights-holders in the wake of his clash with the manager, in which he called Bruce a coward.

It would have been hoped for Ritchie to echo Bruce's stance that all parties had moved on and that the interview would show a united front in their fight for survival.

However, Sportsmail are told the 31-year-old said he did not want to do it.