Nathan Patterson has been given hope on his immediate Everton future after head coach Frank Lampard outlined what players can do to impress him..
Patterson has endured a difficult start to life in England since joining the Goodison Park club from Rangers in a deal worth up to £16million last January.
He has managed just one 45-minute appearance for the Toffees, in an FA Cup clash with Boreham Wood, with injuries and competition for places proving a key stumbling block.
But now the Merseyside club have announced that former Celtic loanee Jonjoe Kenny will leave a pathway could open up for the Scotland international who still has five years left on his contract.
And Lampard has told Everton's website that he has learned a lot about man management as well as balancing the dilemma of trying to keep an entire squad of players happy.
"It’s important, if you’re going to get people in the best place, to be positive with them", said the former Chelsea boss.
"In the modern day, I don’t think heavy sticks or negativity work so well.
“I have to work with them every day, which is a pleasure, and I want them to understand they have my support. I can say a lot of things behind closed doors, but if I talk about them out loud, I want to support them.
"Players do not want to make mistakes or do the wrong things. The only thing I would call out, is if people are not doing the basics - work ethic and respecting the club and their team-mates.”
Lampard also believes players who do make the jump from playing into management, like he did four years ago, don't realise some of the skills you need to learn.
And he believes having good people skills is something that modern day footballers should seek to develop.
“What some players don’t consider so much when they want to coach or manage is that you have to quickly learn the skills to work with people,” Lampard added.
“You don’t need those so much as an individual player. The more you can communicate and understand the best way to motivate and manage individual situations and bring people together in one direction, the quicker the football stuff has a chance of going well.
“I’d done the football things all my life, but I’d not managed people. Paul Clement has made it so easy for me. I have huge respect for him and have no problem tapping into his experience as a manager after working with Carlo Ancelotti for so long.
"He can help me, sometimes guide me on a decision because of something he says. I have no ego in that respect. You have to keep working on those people skills and consistently try to get better.”
