Nathan Patterson faces the brutal reality of Everton transfers after another strike and injury nightmare

Nathan Patterson could have faced hosts Germany at Munich’s iconic Allianz Arena in next month’s European Championship opener, but the injured right-back’s omission from the Scotland squad means he can focus on preparing for Everton – if there is a future. for him at Goodison Park.

Scotland manager Steve Clarke named a provisional 28-man squad on Wednesday morning which will be reduced to 26 for the final but Patterson, who is recovering from surgery on a hamstring injury sustained in the latter stages of the 6-0 thrashing by Everton. Chelsea on April 15, was not included. The 22-year-old was only brought on at Stamford Bridge as a half-time substitute for captain Seamus Coleman, but while Ben Chilwell pushed forward to provide the cross that led to Alfie Gilchrist’s goal to complete the scoring, Patterson can be seen crumpling in a heap and holding the back of his leg and was immediately replaced by Ben Godfrey.

The loss after just six minutes of action at Euro 2020 (played the following year due to the global coronavirus pandemic) will be upsetting for Patterson as an estimated 100,000 Tartan Army fans are expected to travel from north of the border to the heart of the country . continent for the competition, but the realities of his day-to-day job at Goodison Park must now take precedence. The former Rangers player has 21 caps for Scotland – that’s more appearances than he has made for Everton in the Premier League in either of his two full seasons on Merseyside to date.

The Glaswegian also scored for his country, something he has failed to do for the Blues so far. When Patterson arrived from Ibrox in January 2022, in a deal that Sky Sports reported at the time could be worth up to £16m, including add-ons, he came with a reputation as a precocious talent.

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However, the manager who signed him, Rafael Benitez, was sacked less than two weeks later, before the new boy could make his debut. Patterson followed in the footsteps of another full-back, Vitalii Mykolenko, whose move had been announced on New Year’s Day, but while the Ukraine international soon became a regular in the squad and, after early struggles, was arguably the most improved player in the Everton squad this term compared to last season, the Scot’s outings have come at a pinch, hampering his progress.

Patterson did not make a single Premier League appearance in his first season at Goodison Park under Frank Lampard, his only outing being a 45-minute cameo in a 2-0 win at Boreham Wood, who do not League side in the fifth round of the FA Cup when he played on the right side of midfield in a 3-4-3 formation before undergoing ankle surgery. Although he started the first eight matches of 2022/23, Patterson then injured his ankle again but returned for a six-game spell before being dropped after a 4–1 home defeat to Brighton & Hove Albion.

With Coleman sidelined with a knee injury at Leicester City on 1 May, Patterson redeemed himself against Brighton & Hove Albion with a strong display in the 5–1 success at the Amex Stadium the following week, but two weeks later he was sidelined again when forced. exited the 1-1 draw at Wolverhampton Wanderers after less than half an hour with a hamstring problem that kept him out of ‘The Great Escape’ against Bournemouth. Having returned to fitness over the summer, Patterson, who has added five kilos of muscle to his frame, was in upbeat mood when he spoke at Everton’s pre-season training camp on the shores of Lake Geneva.

He told the ECHO: “I just want to try and play as many games as possible, making sure I stay fit and doing what I can to help the team with goals and assists. I want to be as consistent as I can in terms of giving the best performance for the team.

“I think if I can get my games, those numbers will come because I like to go forward and deliver for the team because it makes it really enjoyable. I’m full of energy, so I want to make sure I do that.”

The 2023/24 campaign was a two-half season for Patterson though. Before the start of the calendar year, he played in 22 of Everton’s 24 games, but in 2024, the Chelsea exit was one of two Premier League cameos he made with just four appearances in 21 of matches. Injured for the past half-dozen, there was also the unfortunate incident while the team was away in Portugal when he was reported to have been slapped by his manager in a restaurant.

When asked about what happened, Dyche tried to play it down, saying: “You know, never let the truth get in the way of a good story. So there’s nothing to it really, I hit him over the head like your older brother would and he didn’t get the joke, there’s nothing left, but of course that wouldn’t have sold.”

In public, the Blues boss has always been positive about Patterson’s progress, but actions speak louder than words and Dyche often preferred veterans Coleman (35) and Ashley Young (38) at right-back or even Godfrey, who he is a natural central defender. . When director of football Kevin Thelwell admitted: “Players will be sold” this summer, many fans wondered about the future of some of the club’s most valuable assets, such as Jarrad Branthwaite and Amadou Onana or the likes of Dominic Calvert- Lewin, who is about to enter the final 12 months of his contract, but given the amount of money Everton splashed on Patterson, his age and the fact that team-mates who are in their twilight years as professional careers or prefer to be seconded to other positions. regularly getting the nod ahead of him, there must be serious question marks over his future.

Transfer funds will once again be raised at Goodison this summer and the amount that can be spent could largely depend on who is offloaded, but the club have already been linked with a potential move for Japan international right-back Yukinari Sugawara . Asked ahead of Scotland’s friendly against Northern Ireland in March if this had been one of the most challenging periods of his career, Patterson gave a potentially telling answer.

He told Viaplay Sports: “Yes, you could say that. Obviously I’m not playing as much as I’d like to play, but sometimes that’s just football and I’m not the type of person to just give up.” With Coleman and Young both offered new one-year deals, Evertonians must hope that is the case or Patterson’s time with the Blues could soon be over.