Everton may have future legend in Patterson

Rafa Benitez didn’t precisely take pleasure in the very best of spells at Everton. The Spaniard was sacked in January having been in cost for simply six and a half months – with the membership hovering above the relegation zone.

Regardless of the poor performances, Benitez did handle to make one of many membership’s higher strikes within the switch market of late, bringing Glasgow Rangers defender Nathan Patterson to Goodison Park in a deal price £16m.

Will Patterson change into an Everton legend?

The appropriate-back had damaged by the youth ranks on the Ibrox aspect and made his debut in opposition to Stranraer within the Scottish Cup, finally making 27 senior appearances for the Gentle Blues. Nevertheless, an everyday spot at right-back was all the time going to be powerful with membership captain James Tavernier being a mainstay within the place.

With Frank Lampard taking up from Benitez, it took till March for Patterson to make his debut in England. Nevertheless, he subsequently suffered an ankle damage in April which dominated him out of the remaining weeks of the marketing campaign.

This seems to have made him stronger, as he began the present marketing campaign in glorious type. The £28k-per-week defender featured in Everton’s first seven Premier League matches, averaging an especially spectacular SofaScore match score of 7.07 – rating him because the Toffees’ fourth-best performer within the high flight of English soccer.

The 21-year-old has additionally loved a median of 57.9 touches per match, along with finishing 42% of his tried dribbles – proving that he desires the ball as usually as potential and is eager to contribute going ahead.

Nevertheless, it has been in a defensive capacity through which he has caught the attention most, making a median of 4.0 tackles, 1.3 interceptions, and a couple of.7 clearances per match, whereas additionally showcasing his energy by being dribbled previous solely 0.6 instances per sport.

An injury on Scotland responsibility has stalled his progress just lately, nonetheless, he ought to take confidence from how he bounded again from surgical procedure final season and look to proceed these high quality performances when he’s again within the staff.

Author Peter Man has acknowledged that Everton have gotten themselves an “absolute diamond” following Patterson’s efficiency in opposition to Liverpool in September and there’s no doubt that, contemplating his undoubted potential, the teen can change into a legend at Goodison Park.