£16m Everton player slated by media after international display last night, gets 2/10 rating

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An Everton player has come under the spotlight after a disappointing performance for his country on Tuesday evening.

Several of Sean Dyche’s squad are away as international football takes centre stage ahead of the Premier League’s return on Saturday.

Jordan Pickford, Amadou Onana and Jarrad Branthwaite were all at Wembley as England salvaged a late draw against Belgium.

Nathan Patterson was another player present on the international stage. However, after an eventful couple of weeks, things didn’t go to plan for the 22-year-old.

Scotland’s torrid form continued as Northern Ireland ran out 1-0 winners at Hampden Park, thanks to a first-half strike by Conor Bradley.

How did the Scottish media assess Nathan Patterson’s performance?

The £16million Everton signing [Sky Sports] was unfortunately involved in Bradley’s first-half goal, gifting possession to the Liverpool right-back with a loose pass. It was a moment to forget, and here’s how the Scottish media assessed his performance.

The Scottish Sun wrote: “Started well with great tackle midway through first half but at fault for Northern Ireland opener when failed to clear and looked completely shorn of confidence after that. 2.”

The Scotsman claimed it was a night to forget for Patterson: “Not a night to remember for the Everton right-back. His poor mistake led to Conor Bradley’s goal when he slackly passed the ball straight to him from the byline. Looked rattled for a spell but regained composure without excelling in the second half. 4.”

The Edinburgh News added: “Almost got away with loose possession in the first half but committed another error which led to a goal. Brodie Spencer had some joy up against him. Lack of regular Everton minutes perhaps showing.”

Learning curve for Nathan Patterson

The Everton man must view Tuesday night as a learning curve. Representing any national side is tough, but Scotland’s desire for success is unrivalled. Any mistake will be picked apart, and that’s precisely what has happened here.

For the 22-year-old, it’s another 90 minutes under his belt and considering his lack of game time for Everton, it was needed.

Apart from the lapse in concentration in the first half, it was a relatively solid performance. Per FotMob, Patterson won 5/7 tackles and 8/10 duels. Upon returning to Finch Farm, performing the basics to a high level is a must if he wants to break into Sean Dyche’s plans.