Nathan Patterson set Everton challenge as ex Rangers star namechecked by Sean Dyche

Nathan Patterson is “coming back stronger” as the Scotland full-back edges closer to a first-team football return.

A horrid spell with injuries has ruled the 23-year-old out for the majority of his time at Everton since completing an £11million move in January of 2022. The right-back hasn’t played any first-team football so far this season and has picked up just a handful of minutes in Premier League 2, but he has been on the bench for a few Everton games in the top-flight, as Sean Dyche calls on a slew of players to banish their injury history - with Patterson in particular called out.

Early this year a hamstring injury ruled the Rangers academy graduate out of a potential spot in Steve Clarke’s squad at Euro 2024, and has yet to return during the start of this campaign. Having shown a decent turn of form under Dyche, the manager has now set him the challenge of getting back to full fitness, and importantly, staying available now for the foreseeable future.

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The Everton boss told the Liverpool Echo that he wants his players to stay fit now: "The challenge is, if you are playing the games, not getting them re-injured.

"We are trying to come through that, we're looking at the stats and facts, trying to judge the right time to get these players games but certainly they are the main two and [Nathan] Patterson is coming back stronger as well but they are the main two, Youssef and Broja, who will need that games programme but they're building up to that now."