A career outside of football is Nat for me
Gers kid’s burning desire
RANGERS starlet Nathan Patterson admits he still pinches himself every day that he’s training with Steven Gerrard’s squad despite being at Ibrox for 10 years.
And the Sco t l and Under-21 ace revealed he motivates himself all the time by imagining a life outside football if he doesn’t continue to progress.
Patterson has been earmarked as a star of the future by the Rangers boss and won his first call-up for Scot Gemmill’s side, who face Lithuania away on Tuesday, this week.
The 18- year- old has already played in Germany against Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League clash and has featured in the league too this season.
But there’s no chance the right-back will ease up in his ambitions and he knows how hard he’ll have to work to have a chance of dislodging club captain James Tavernier in the future.
Patterson said: “I’ve done well at club level as you can see because I’ve got a call-up for the Under-21s. I just need to keep pushing on and get more opportunities with club and country.
“I’ve been at Rangers for 10 years, since I was eight.
“When you are younger, you always support your club and my team has been Rangers ever since I was born. My family are Rangers supporters so signing for them at the age of eight was an incredible moment.
“My family has kept me going. Now I’ve got into the first team but I know I have to push on.
“Football is a tough sport to make a career out of and you need to tell yourself every day that this is what you want.
“Sometimes it just doesn’t go right for people and that’s what happens in life.
“You see people who don’t make it and go back and do a normal job. I just look at that and make sure I go in and work hard every day to get the best career I can possibly have.
“I did my sixth year at school but there’s never been anything else at the back of my mind. It’s always just been football. I was determined I wanted to make a career out of football.
“Getting on in Germany was a great experience. I just want to try and get as many big experiences like that and also for Scotland Under-21s.”
And Patterson admits he’s relishing working under Gerrard. He said: “I’ve had some good conversations with the manager. It is great to look up to someone like him and have a coach like him each day.”
There’s been never anythi ng inmy mind. else always It’s footbal just been l for me NATHAN PATTERS HISCAREER ON ON PATH