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Nathan Patterson at Everton endgame after Rangers exit deja vu as James Tavernier succession plan answered
Forgotten Nathan Patterson looks set to bring the curtain down on a nightmare injury spell at Everton.
The 23-year-old has been slowly inching closer to fitness behind the scenes with appearances at the Premier League club having been making appearances for the B team before attempting to catch Sean Dyche's eye with appearances at first-team level His last Everton appearance came all the way back in April in the 6-0 defeat to Chelsea in the latest hammer blow to his career since leaving Rangers.
Having been signed by Rafa Benitez in January 2022, Patterson saw his first season with The Toffees brought to an abrupt end through injury. He failed to win over Frank Lampard and was on the fringes of the squad before being given a second chance by Sean Dyche - before he picked up another knock in January during a clash with Fulham that kept him out for months before suffering a similar fate at Stamford Bridge.
But the Liverpool Echo report that Patterson is "now available" for selection and is in the running for an appearance following the international break against Brentford. It is noted that Patterson is the only naturally right-sided defender available to Dyche and the clash with the Bees "could be the time to give him a chance."
And with speculation surrounding the future of captain James Tavernier, Wrexham defender Ryan Barnett has been floated as a potential successor. However, his teammate James McLean isn't having any of it.
Amid the escalating reports of interest, the Celtic fan took to social media in a bid to pour cold water over the speculation. Sharing a picture of himself training with Bennett to his Instagram story, McLean wrote: “Don’t even joke about such a thing!”
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