Everton right-back Nathan Patterson has revealed what he does to impress Sean Dyche.
Nathan Patterson was signed from Scottish giants Rangers for £16 million in the 2022 January transfer window, penning a five-and-a-half-year contract at Goodison Park.
This came after their £5 million bid for the player was rejected in the previous summer, with manager at the time Steven Gerrard describing the bid as “something out of a joke book”.
Since arriving in Merseyside, he’s demonstrated the talent that rewarded such a transfer fee, although it did take him a while to earn his opportunity.
Patterson initially struggled to displace the long-serving Seamus Coleman, making his debut against Boreham Wood in March 2022 before an injury to his ankle curtailed the rest of his campaign.
In the following, he earned his opportunity to play regularly in the absence of Coleman, but once he started living up to the price tag, the rest of his season was ravaged by injuries.
Patterson learnt through those multiple setbacks that when an opportunity arose, he had to take it, and that is exactly what he’s done this season.
He’s featured 18 times in the Premier League and relished his battle with the experienced Ashley Young and Coleman for a spot in the team.
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Nathan Patterson says how he impresses Sean Dyche
Speaking after the Toffees victory over Crystal Palace in the FA Cup, in which the 22-year-old put in a commanding performance, he said: “The Gaffer says to us, ‘Anytime you get an opportunity you have to take it’,
“It’s good to know you are in his plans for the future, and at present as well. Anytime he plays me from the start, I want to make sure I am doing my best and showing him why I should stay in the team.”
In his display against Palace, Patterson contributed to Everton’s third consecutive clean sheet, and seventh overall from their last 11 matches.
With Coleman and Young reaching the end of their careers, the £28k-a-week titan has a fantastic opportunity to make that spot his own for years to come.
Sean Dyche is certainly fond of the Scotsman and has showered him with praise in the past. One instance was when he came up against devastating Brighton winger Koaru Mitoma last term. The Japanese star didn’t force any loose change out of the youngster and Dyche hailed his performance as “tremendous”.
Patterson is capable of reaching the above levels of consistency and once he does, it’ll be difficult for anyone to grab that starting jersey from him.
