£11m Scotland star ordered to 'step up' by his manager amid 15-month long wait for EPL start

Nathan Patterson has been told to "step up" by Everton manager David Moyes as he bids to get his career back on track after returning from his latest injury setback.

The Scotland full-back has has not started a Premier League fixture since December 2023 with his only start so far this season coming in the 2-0 win over Peterborough United in the FA Cup.

It is also a year since the 23-year-old last featured for Scotland with his 21st cap in dark blue coming in the 1-0 defeat to Northern Ireland at Hampden in March 2024.

Nathan Patterson during his only Everton start of the season in the 2-0 win over Peterborough in the FA Cup. (Photo by Carl Recine/Getty Images) | Getty Images

There was much hype when Patterson completed an £11million transfer from Rangers to Everton in January 2022, but he has seen his progress for club and country hampered by injury.

He suffered ankle and knee issues during first 18 months at Goodison Park before a serious hamstring injury in a 6-0 defeat at Chelsea in April last year put him out of action for six months and saw him miss Euro 2024 with Scotland as well as the start of the current campaign with Everton.

Patterson returned to the Toffees first-team squad in October but had to wait until December for his first appearance off the bench in a 4-0 defeat to Manchester United at Old Trafford.

In his final match before being sacked, previous Everton boss Sean Dyche gave Patterson a 45-minute run-out after bringing him on at half-time during the 1-0 defeat to Bournemouth on January 4.

Moyes subsequently took over and handed Patterson a further three substitute opportunities totalling 39 minutes in his first four matches in charge, only for the right-back to suffer another hamstring injury which kept him out for a month.

Everton manager David Moyes. | Getty Images

Patterson was back on the bench for Everton's 1-1 draw at Brentford nine days ago and has spent the past week building up his fitness during the club's warm-weather training camp in Abu Dhabi.

Now Moyes, a fellow Scot, has issued a stern message to the former Ibrox youngster as he looks to work his way back into the Everton line-up with one eye on a possible Scotland recall for the Nations League play-off double-header against Greece later this month.

“He’s been here (three) years now,” Moyes said. “I know he needs to step up and I want him to step up. He's Scottish as well and we need all the players we can. I’m hoping the next month or two we get a chance to work a bit closer with him.

“He's had a few injuries. He's been out the last four weeks. You miss out on the coaching and the opportunities to be around the group and to get to know him a bit better. He's come on a couple of times but I think he needs to be looking to step up."