Frank Lampard urges Nathan Patterson to ‘keep working’ and chances will come having yet debuted for Everton after the defender’s winter transfer, via quotes by the Liverpool Echo.
Rafa Benitez raided Rangers in January to take Patterson to Goodison Park in a £16m deal. The right-back signed a five-year contract with the Blues. But he joined for an initial £11.5m just 12-days before Farhad Moshiri fired Benitez, and appointed Lampard two-weeks later.
Patterson only took a seat on the bench for Benitez’s final fixture at the helm in defeat at Norwich City. He has also remained an unused substitute in all five of Lampard’s matches in charge across all competitions. But the now-Toffees manager has no doubt in his potential.
Lampard feels Patterson has a future to play out on Merseyside and give Everton an option right now. The Blues boss has so far favoured captain Seamus Coleman in all games since taking over from Benitez. But minutes will follow at Goodison for Patterson in due course.
“He’s showing great patience on the outside,” Lampard said. “He’s come here at a young age to the Premier League, it’s a big ask. Of course, he’ll get his games. He’s a player for now and the future. He’ll need to keep working at times, and that’s very normal.”
FA Cup vs Boreham Wood could return Patterson’s Everton debut
Patterson joined Everton having played 27 first-team fixtures for Rangers since debuting in January 2020. Nine of his outings came in European ties and 11 in the Scottish top-flight. He also debuted for the senior Scotland side in June last year and has one goal in six-caps.
It did not take Patterson long to leave an impression at Finch Farm, either. Anthony Gordon noted his hunger straight away. But Lampard clearly wants to see Patterson show gains in training before thrusting the full-back into the pressure cooker of Premier League football.
A debut, then, could come when Everton host Boreham Wood in the FA Cup fifth-round on Thursday night. Lampard may look fondly on resting Coleman ahead of visiting Tottenham Hotspur in the top-flight next Monday, while giving the Gers product a chance to impress.
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