Nathan Patterson insists he knows what Sean Dyche demands from his full-backs after having to bide his time to get a chance under the new Everton manager.
Following his £12million transfer from Rangers on January 4 last year – 12 days before Rafael Benitez was sacked – the Scotland international only played 45 minutes of football for the Blues that season under the Spaniards’ successor Frank Lampard against non-League Boreham Wood in the FA Cup.
Patterson’s long-awaited Premier League debut came seven months after signing when he started against Chelsea on the opening day of the 2022/23 campaign. But despite playing 15 matches under Lampard, he wasn’t included in Dyche’s starting 11 until the emphatic 5-1 victory at Brighton & Hove Albion on May 8.
That opportunity had come after captain Seamus Coleman had been stretchered off in the previous fixture at Leicester City and the 21-year-old enjoyed a three-game run in the side before he was forced off in the first half at Wolverhampton Wanderers and forced out of Everton’s survival showdown at home to Bournemouth on the final day.
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Looking forward to the 2023/24 season though – the squad return to Finch Farm later this week with most players reporting back on Thursday – Patterson told evertonfc.com: “I know what the manager wants from his players and his full-backs, especially. It's important to know how he wants us to play and what he wants from me.
“We quickly learned how he likes to work and how he keeps things level. You see it more after a positive moment. When you win you're happy and on a high but as soon as it's done, he's moving on to the next one and focus turns quickly.
“One win doesn't mean you're going to stroll into the next and get three points – and it's good to have that mindset because it keeps standards high. It goes both ways – after a defeat it means we stick together and keep working in the same consistent way.”
Patterson was just 18 when he made his Rangers debut against Stranraer in the Scottish Cup but he admits the rigours of the Premier League are physically demanding and reveals he’s added six kilos of muscle to his frame since moving south of the border. He said: “You see more quality. The speed of the game is a lot quicker and each game is closer.
“It's a lot harder to win a game in the Premier League because every side has so much quality. That's the pressure that comes with it.
“You have to be at your best to get the upper hand on someone and come out on top of your individual battles.
“I'm still young and still learning but I'm playing against these top players and it can only make me better.
“I work hard with the coaching staff. There's preparation in terms of watching videos and that kind of thing, watching how your opponent plays and trying to pick up tips to stop them.
“When it comes to the game you have to be fully focused to compete with players that are up there with the best in the world.”
