Nathan Patterson has opened up on the pre-season phone call he received from Frank Lampard that helped kick start his Everton career. Patterson has not only revealed what his boss said to him following the change, but also explained how a pre-season talk from Lampard lifted his confidence and convinced him they can be successful together.
Nathan Patterson said: “At 21, I’ve had (Rafa) Benitez, (Steven) Gerrard and Lampard as gaffers – which isn’t too bad! I’ve taken different bits from all of them. Gerrard and Lampard have done everything in football and you realise just how much dedication they’ve put in to reach the top. They’re quite similar but obviously have small differences in their styles. They’re both top guys and, above everything else, winners. They also know what it’s like to be a top-level footballer which is a big help. They have so much passion for the game. You can just sense how much it means to them to win. The gaffer here gave me my debut in the FA Cup, which was great, but I was subbed at half-time. That was difficult to take but the manager explained it wasn’t to do with my performance and I had to accept his decision. I didn’t really get an opportunity after that but he called me in the summer to say it was going to be a big season for me. So I knew I had a chance of starting. I worked really hard and I’ve managed to hit the ground running. I started our first Premier League game this season and have hopefully impressed. I’m enjoying it now. The fans seem to have taken to me. They want young players to do well and they can see I’m a passionate person. You feel the passion from them too. It’s similar to Ibrox, you know how much they want to win and that pushes you on. There’s pressure to perform and win but they appreciate hard work and I’ll always give 100 per cent. It’s a great environment to be in.”
