Former Rangers defender Nathan Patterson centre of Everton training camp row after manager's 'clumsy joke' goes wrong

Scotland defender Nathan Patterson has reportedly been involved in a bizarre training camp incident with his Everton manager Sean Dyche at a Portuguese restaurant.

English Premier League outfit Everton are inactive this weekend following their elimination from the FA Cup and Dyche decided to take his squad to the resort of Quinta do Lago in the Algarve. The Daily Mail claims that during a meal one evening, tempers frayed between the manager and the squad after he playfully slapped Patterson too hard across the head, which led to some players being unimpressed by Dyche’s actions. It is claimed that club captain James Tarkowski led his boss away from the table before he later returned and apologised to an embarrassed Patterson.

Patterson, who has struggled to break into the Everton first team under Dyche, is due to join up with the Scotland squad next week and club sources have said that the incident with the former Rangers defender was a “clumsy joke” that backfired. The Toffees, who are now back in the UK, are in the midst of a relegation battle and do not play until March 30 against Bournemouth.