Former England striker Jermain Defoe played for a lot of clubs over the years before moving to Rangers near the end of his career, where he played alongside Everton star Nathan Patterson.
Patterson came through the ranks in Glasgow, catching the eye before Everton snapped him up for £16m, and he has had a fairly inconsistent spell in Merseyside so far.
His youth was clearly on display to Defoe during his final days as a player, as the former Spurs striker revealed his shock at a conversation he once had with Patterson.
Jermain Defoe’s surprise at Nathan Patterson
Speaking on the BBC Players Channel, Defoe revealed his surprise that Patterson had no idea who England legend Glenn Hoddle was, and that he was shocked that the younger players in his squad had not paid attention to historical football.
“I said talk about football – Glenn Hoddle. You don’t know who Glenn Hoddle is? I said some other names, I asked some of the younger players, Nathan Patterson. I said ‘Nath, who’s this player?'” He stated.
“It’s just mad, that the younger players now don’t watch football, or don’t watch football from years ago.”
Do younger players need to watch more football?
Whilst Defoe, who retired in 2022 at the age of 39, may have been shocked at the lack of interest amongst younger players, it is not the biggest surprise.
Arsenal star Ben White is amongst the players who have admitted that they do not watch the sport beyond their professional duties, and Patterson may not even fall into this bracket.
Glenn Hoddle retired from football in 1995, six years before Patterson was born. Whilst it may be expected that players will have heard of most famous footballing figures even before their time, it should not come as a real shock that Patterson did not instantly realise who Hoddle was.
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