Nathan Patterson joined Everton from Glasgow Rangers at an unbearable time for the club. The ill-fated Rafael Benítez made the right-back his second signing of the January 2022 transfer window, 3 days after the successful signing of Vitalii Mykolenko. Whilst both signings brought hope for the Blues, only the latter has emerged as a first-team starter, 3½ years on.

In that lengthy period, Patterson has made just 49 Premier League appearances, with 23 of these as a substitute. Although a string of injuries has sidelined the ex-Rangers man for around one-third of his Everton career, the notion that he simply hasn’t been selected due to disappointing performances for the remainder of his Everton career is evidently reasonable.

Notably, Sean Dyche was clearly not an admirer; however, it is difficult to judge how current manager David Moyes sees Patterson’s future at Everton.

One of the right-back's key attributes is generally thought to be his crossing ability, which he was renowned for during his time at Rangers, yet Evertonians have merely seen diminutive glimpses of this. A simple 10-yard pass to tee up the dynamic Dwight McNeil for a twisting scorcher against Ipswich Town was his sole assist last season. In contrast, free agent Kyle Walker-Peters recorded 2 fine assists in an abysmal Southampton side last campaign and has appeared as a viable solution to Everton’s chronic right-back issues.

If Everton do capture frequent target Walker-Peters, or a player of his level to fill the role, that would leave Patterson in an awkward situation. Does he remain as a somewhat inconsistent back-up, alongside veteran Seamus Coleman, with his playing time reduced at the age of 23? Or would a loan move to a high-level Championship club suffice for his missed minutes due to injury? Both options will likely depend on the Scot’s performance over the course of pre-season.

Some supporters may suggest a permanent move would be beneficial for both Patterson and the club, yet for me, it not only seems illogical to list the 23-year-old – who perhaps still has a couple of years to realise his full potential – but also unlikely that there will be any concrete interest in the right-back from other clubs. In addition, the £16M fee Everton paid for him would only be partially generated back, given his awful injury record at such a young age.

It is incredibly easy to forget that Patterson has been contracted at Everton for over 3 years, but it seems that now is the time for him to step up and find his feet – whether that is at the Hill Dickinson Stadium or elsewhere. Whilst his future will be divisively debated, all Evertonians can agree that Patterson must play more football to become a first-team starter for the Blues.

 

Reader Comments (33)

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Andrew Ellams
1 Posted 11/07/2025 at 13:30:28
Keep due to lack of cover but for that reason only.
Michael Kenrick
2 Posted 11/07/2025 at 13:36:58
Good article, Billy.

Nathan Patterson had been going below the radar but those eagle eyes at The Echo. Here's what Joe Thomas says:

Nathan Patterson is one of a handful of players who, even in a small squad, face a summer in which they have work to do to convince the Everton hierarchy to give them a serious role in the upcoming season.

The right-back has been plagued by injury since joining from Rangers in 2022 and had to watch from the sidelines as the likes of Jake O'Brien and Ashley Young shared duties during much of the second half of the campaign.

The longer the club goes without bringing in a new option, the more time Patterson, still only 23, has to convince his superiors he deserves a chance. Unlike last summer, Patterson is fit for pre-season and, like Beto, could be heard receiving praise for his work in the one-v-one drills as he fought off the advances of Isaac Heath.

I must admit personally I quite like watching him. But I'm an unashamed advocate of attacking football and like watching players who go forward and look to deliver the ball with intent. That's why I liked Dixon too… and Nkounkou before him.

But apparently the smart money says they don't do enough defending… and so that's them done. Even though scoring goals is the name of the game and something we seem to have become increasingly incompetent at. (Yes, a personal word of thanks here for the hugely frustrating efforts of one Dominic Calvert-Lewin over the past 9 years... sorry, I wasn't going to mention him.)

Kevin Molloy
3 Posted 11/07/2025 at 13:42:24
sell? Loans is all we'll be offered.
Liam Mogan
4 Posted 11/07/2025 at 13:47:58
MK 2 - I've never seen anything in Nathan Patterson's attacking ability which would make up for his defensive deficiencies.

He's never scored a goal and he's never provided any reliable delivery from wide areas?

If we can replace him then I would.

Rick Cole
5 Posted 11/07/2025 at 14:05:24
He's had f all opportunity. There is a player in there for sure And we need that player.
Give the kid some trust and I think he can be exactly what we need
Billy Birmingham
6 Posted 11/07/2025 at 14:12:40
Thanks Michael (2), like you, I am a huge fan of attacking-minded fullbacks. However, I'd say Digne was the last fullback for us who actually consistently provided quality crosses into the box for strikers to attack. I'm sure Patterson is a solid crosser of the ball, but we haven't seen this enough to make a clear decision, hence why a loan deal may give us a greater insight into what he can offer going forward.

The decision to sell Nkounkou was incredibly poor. I also saw something in him that obviously Everton didn't. Hopefully Dixon can return from the rumoured Stockport loan and emerge as a regular starter.

Steve Shave
7 Posted 11/07/2025 at 14:14:21
Keep but only because we have no hope of anyone buying him, let's try and get a tune out of him as a back up RB. You never know.
Andy Crooks
8 Posted 11/07/2025 at 14:19:12
I have a feeling, based on very little, that he is going to be a top player for us. A run of games and a bit of confidence might just change things.
To be fair, though, this is the only time of the year when I am mildly optimistic.
Dan Parker
9 Posted 11/07/2025 at 14:28:19
Keep. He'll get coached properly under Moyes and we need squad depth.
Josh Horne
10 Posted 11/07/2025 at 14:28:59
I don't believe that Coleman can provide the cover that we will need, I would not have given him another contract.

However, I expect O'Brien will always be used as right-back cover ahead of Patterson and that's why Moyes has decided to keep Keane.

I don't think Patterson has a future at the club, a loan at least takes him off the wage bill.

Jarmo Rahnasto
11 Posted 11/07/2025 at 14:30:02
He has the ability to attack but is a very poor defender. He gets beaten on 1 vs 1 situations all the time and cant read the game defensively. Maybe as a winger he could shine like Coleman at the start of his career.
Dale Rose
12 Posted 11/07/2025 at 14:31:11
Keep, there is a player in there.

I'm sure Moyes will bring it out of him.

Raymond Fox
13 Posted 11/07/2025 at 14:31:13
He is as I have said already is somewhat of a mystery man.
He's been injured a lot of the time but managers don't seem to fancy him much.
If its a defencesive issue surely it can be corrected, workrate is the easier to point out to the player, positional play can surely be learned.

I would imagine they and him have already tried so what do I know.

Mark Boullé
14 Posted 11/07/2025 at 14:42:27
The only hope I have for him is that Moyes managed to turn a raw, rough diamond that was Seamus Coleman into one of the finest right backs ever to grace Goodison Park. Perhaps he can save Patterson's Everton career...
Ian Bennett
15 Posted 11/07/2025 at 14:48:51
The lad needs to play 30-40 games.

I am not convinced on him, but Leighton Baines also had a tough start to life Everton, heavily linked to Sunderland, and he went on to be brilliant.

I am not putting him in that category, but you need 10-15 starts to get your confidence. Look at Obrien, Beto etc.

Ryan Holroyd
16 Posted 11/07/2025 at 14:50:06
Personally I don’t think j he’s premier league standard.
If he played consistently for us, he’d be ranked as the worse starting right back in the premier league.

Can’t defend, can’t cross a ball consistently, slow


SELL

Ryan Holroyd
17 Posted 11/07/2025 at 14:51:56
Baines turned Sunderland down for Everton
Christy Ring
18 Posted 11/07/2025 at 14:52:16
I reckon Moyes will make a decision during preseason, whether he’s good enough for the first team. He’s been here 3 years, so it’s time to step up or go. His biggest problem in my opinion, is that he loses concentration, and often ball watching,, full back is a position we need to sort out. I’m surprised he hasn’t given Dixon a chance, he excelled against Spurs last season, in his only first team game.
Colin Glassar
19 Posted 11/07/2025 at 14:55:10
Sell. I’ve seen enough to know he’s an SPL player at best.
Ian Bennett
20 Posted 11/07/2025 at 14:59:34
He might of Ryan, but he was linked with Sunderland again when he couldn't get into the Everton side.

His first season he played 22 EPL games.

Danny O'Neill
21 Posted 11/07/2025 at 15:04:31
Providing we sign a right back, it would be a sell for me.

Then we would have Coleman and Dixon as backup. And obviously O'Brien if necessary with Tarkowski and Branthwaite fit.

David Bromwell
22 Posted 11/07/2025 at 15:06:09
As I remember we paid a hefty sum for Nathan, even though he was not a regular in Rangers first team. At times he has looked ok to me, at least going forward, but any progress he may have made has been hampered by injuries.
Hopefully Moyes can get him playing well in the first team, if not he has been a complete waste of money and should be let go.
Ryan Holroyd
23 Posted 11/07/2025 at 15:08:39
He was injured Ian. And Lescott was playing well there

Played 242 games for Everton under David Moyes

Anyway We’ve done all this previously.

Colin Glassar
24 Posted 11/07/2025 at 15:16:03
David, maybe the Dyche Slap ruined him?
John Keating
25 Posted 11/07/2025 at 15:19:09
I mentioned on another thread what I know about Patterson
At Rangers he was a very attack minded full back
Anyone who says he can’t put good cross in has never seen him.

If we can just get him fit a la DCL we really have a player here.

Personally, for me, I’d look at him wide right, if not more a winger.
Compared to our Leeds loaner Patterson is streets ahead

Ryan Holroyd
26 Posted 11/07/2025 at 15:21:45
He played 27 times for Rangers.

Awful player

Ian Wilkins
27 Posted 11/07/2025 at 15:32:13
Poor acquisition that needs to move on.

Several managers have given him chances and he consistently proves he is a naive defender who doesn’t learn the basics.

Just not sure we’d get any money for him.

May have to be loan with us paying part of his wages.

Poor scouting.

Julian Exshaw
28 Posted 11/07/2025 at 15:32:15
Keep for now. Allow him time free of injuries, some good coaching and a run in the first team. Then decide.
Eric Haworth
29 Posted 11/07/2025 at 15:35:22
Both full back positions need a serious upgrade if we’re to progress. We can debate the merits and/or deficiencies in these two all day long, but neither appears to have a basic football brain, particularly when it comes to defending, which as full backs should be high on their CV, and which you’d consider to be a fundamental requirement of a professional footballer, never mind a premier league defender? Neither seems to recognise danger, or take charge and manage/direct the wide player tracking back to support them. Both are forever being caught out of position and on the wrong side of the man they’re meant to be keeping in check, which then adds to the pressure on the CB’s and keeper, due to them simply not doing the basics.
Dave Abrahams
30 Posted 11/07/2025 at 15:47:04
I’ve always wanted Patterson to get a decent run in the team- he has never had that, he’s good going forward and can definitely put a good cross in he has some deficiencies in defending like O’Brien has when he plays, especially at right back.

Let’s see how he gets on in the next few weeks.

Derek Knox
31 Posted 11/07/2025 at 15:48:09
This seems to be developing into a 'Marmite thread' although a bit biased, being a Scot, I like Patterson and as a few have mentioned he has never had a decent run.

What I have seen of him, both for Scotland and Rangers, and fairly limited for us, his attacking flair is better than his defensive element. However, I think Moyes can help him along in that department.

Rob Dolby
32 Posted 11/07/2025 at 15:54:36
We don't have a choice really. He has to stay until we get a decent right back.

I have seen enough of him to say his defending leaves a lot to be desired.

He has been unlucky with injuries which have definitely halted any progress. I don't see a queue of clubs willing to buy him.

At times last season I would have started him at right mid to see what he could do as I don't see a future for him at a prem club as a fullback. I rate Garner as a better right back.

Jim Bennings
33 Posted 11/07/2025 at 16:10:46
Been here for more than three years and still doesn't look any further down the line than day one.

Feel like he's the right back version of Darron Gibson, in that he'll never play more than 4 games on the spin and never play more than 10 games a season.

I'd like to say keep and hope for the best but I truly believe he'll never make it with us now sadly.

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