Luis Diaz at Liverpool or Arsenal’s Gabriel Martinelli? It’s tough for Nathan Patterson to decide who was more difficult to play against between the Colombian and Brazilian internationals. But the choice highlights one thing. The jump from Scottish Premiership to the English Premier League is even bigger than he expected.
Patterson secured a record-breaking £16million transfer from Rangers to Everton a year ago. After a challenging start to life at Goodison, he’s now Frank Lampard’s first-pick at right-back. And he’s still only 21. The Scot has been blown away by the standard of players in England’s top flight.
He believes the stars down south are more steadfast in their work, especially off the pitch. That has prompted Patterson to work one-on-one with Everton’s sports science team in a bid to reach the required level. He got a shock playing against Martinelli but in terms of the hardest opponent he has faced in the Premier League so far, he says it’s £37m man Diaz. Patterson managed to keep him quiet in a 0-0 Merseyside derby draw back in September.
In an exclusive interview with MailSport on life at the Toffees, he said: “The Premier League is a different level, even from playing at Rangers. There’s at least 50,000 in the different stadiums every week so it’s great to have that pressure on you. Playing against top players every week is only going to benefit me.
“It’s brilliant because at a young age I’m getting to challenge myself on a regular basis. What a league this is. The best I’ve played against so far is probably Diaz in the Liverpool game at Goodison. That was a proper test and I felt I did well. But honestly, everyone down here is top quality. In pre-season I played against Martinelli of Arsenal and he was so sharp. Everyone is sharp in this league!
“They’re all athletes. That’s one of the big differences from the Scottish Premiership. It’s more to do with what players do off the field down here. They’re maybe a bit more dedicated. It’s just a different league and to be part of it now is unbelievable. I’m in the gym more now, just to try to keep up.
“I work with the Everton sports scientists on what I need to improve. We are getting closer to where I want to be. I definitely feel I’ve improved even since leaving Rangers and I’ve matured as well living on my own down here. My family come down for home games but it has helped a lot that I have to do everything for myself. It has given me more ownership and independence, as opposed to relying on other people in Glasgow.”
At 21, Patterson has already worked under massive names such as Rafa Benitez, Steven Gerrard and Lampard. In terms of tactical coaching and winning mentality, he could barely have hand-picked a better trio of individuals to learn from. All three have been different but in Gerrard and Lampard, there are also clear similarities. Right now, it’s the latter he has to impress at Goodison as he bids to establish himself at Everton.
When Lampard subbed him at half-time on his Toffees debut against minnows Boreham Wood in last season’s FA Cup, it was a test of Patterson’s mental strength. But a pre-season phone call from his gaffer last summer lifted his confidence and convinced him they can be successful together.
The Scotland international said: “At 21, I’ve had Benitez, Gerrard and Lampard as gaffers – which isn’t too bad! I’ve taken different bits from all of them. Gerrard and Lampard have done everything in football and you realise just how much dedication they’ve put in to reach the top.
“They’re quite similar but obviously have small differences in their styles. They’re both top guys and, above everything else, winners. They also know what it’s like to be a top-level footballer which is a big help. They have so much passion for the game. You can just sense how much it means to them to win.
“The gaffer here gave me my debut in the FA Cup, which was great, but I was subbed at half-time. That was difficult to take but the manager explained it wasn’t to do with my performance and I had to accept his decision. I didn’t really get an opportunity after that but he called me in the summer to say it was going to be a big season for me.
“So I knew I had a chance of starting I worked really hard and I’ve managed to hit the ground running. I started our first Premier League game this season and have hopefully impressed. I’m enjoying it now. The fans seem to have taken to me. They want young players to do well and they can see I’m a passionate person.
“You feel the passion from them too. It’s similar to Ibrox, you know how much they want to win and that pushes you
on. There’s pressure to perform and win but they appreciate hard work and I’ll always give 100 per cent. It’s a great environment to be in.”
Everton face another fight to survive in the Premier League this season. Despite a promising start, they sit just a point above the relegation zone after 15 games, with Wolves at home up next on Boxing Day.
But Patterson is adamant it’s a different club with Lampard at the helm compared to when he signed under Benitez a year ago. And he’s determined to play his part in pushing them up the table. He said: “It was difficult for me at the start. I had to adapt to two managers quickly while still settling in.
“We were in a tough place when I arrived so I understand why the manager didn’t want to throw in a young guy who’d never played before in the Premier League. This is a great club and everyone is together now. The feeling in the dressing-room is a lot better than last season when we were in a tough situation.
“We’ve got fresh faces in and the squad is a lot stronger. I want to play as much as I can this season, get assists and maybe some goals as well. I’ve never had a full season of playing at Rangers or Everton so, if I can stay fit, I want to get as many minutes and starts as possible. I’m ambitious. I want to play at the top level. It’s every boy’s dream to play in the Champions League one day. Everyone wants to be involved in European football. And if I do well at Everton, I believe we can get up the table.”
READ NEXT
