Patterson at Rangers ‘crossroads’
Ibrox hero reckons right-back has decision to make as Van Bronckhorst takes reins in Govan
MARK HATELEY saw Nathan Patterson set out on the road to stardom and knew he was on the right track for club and country. Today, he fears he is at a crossroads.
Patterson’s rise and rise through the Rangers ranks over the last 18 months has come as no surprise to Hateley. Indeed, his burst onto the international scene with Scotland was always to be expected as well.
But the Ibrox legend knows it could soon be decision time. Does Patterson stick or twist? Ultimately, does he stay or does he go?
Of the 11 appearances that the right-back has made this term, just seven have come in the blue of Rangers as Patterson has continued to perform with aplomb for his country.
The champions were able to fend off interest from Everton during the summer but the list of suitors is growing and there will be an offer that is too good to refuse for the Ibrox board.
Patterson’s situation is an important one for Giovanni van Bronckhorst to assess.
The 20-year-old will already be thinking about it himself.
“I think he’s right on the threshold right now,” Hateley said. “I think he could be right at the threshold of a decision to where he goes with his career, where he wants to go with his career.
“Because I’ve got no doubt in my mind Nathan can play wherever he wants. In whatever league he wants.
“He will be the that good, and he’s good enough right now. As I say, English Premier League, Bundesliga, Spain, Italy. He’s got that.
“He’s at the crossroads because he isn’t playing every week and that has to be the question Nathan asks himself.
“It’s an easy question to answer in reality because it’s about playing football at that age.
“It’s then about developing as well as you can. But he has the ability to play wherever he wants.
“That question will have been asked in his own head already. There is no doubt about it.
“It’s a difficult one for both parties, but Nathan has a lot of value.
“He is an asset and he will be a Scotland regular for however long he wants to be.”
Patterson’s latest outing for Rangers came on Thursday night as Van Bronckhorst showed his faith in him during the victory over Sparta Prague.
He would replace Ianis Hagi in a role on the right of the Rangers midfield as he slotted in ahead of captain and mentor James Tavernier.
Time will tell if it is a long-term solution to an increasingly pertinent problem for the champions but it is one that Hateley can see the merits in.
“Nathan can play in the advanced position on the right as there is so much more to his game,” Hateley said. “I saw him at youth level and he has a lot to offer.
“You saw Nathan’s goal for Scotland against Moldova – that’s what he did in the youths.
“He can underlap and overlap, and he can work in the system with Rangers.
“Nathan and James Tavernier can complement each other but it depends what the manager wants.
“Does he (Van Bronckhorst) want a Joe Aribo in front of the right-back, who can do a little
bit more and be fluid? Rangers worked well with the players in front of the midfield. They moved about well.
“But that’s the Dutch way – everyone should be able to play anywhere. And if you are in shape, you are solid.”
The dilemma over
Patterson’s place and his future is a welcome one for
Van Bronckhorst to have but it will not be easily solved in the coming months.
It would only be natural if the Ibrox kid began to grow frustrated and started to ponder whether the grass is indeed greener elsewhere as he looks to take his career to the next level.
Rangers will remain committed to retaining Patterson’s services for as long as possible but Hateley is well aware of the benefits a move could bring for the Scotland star.
“Young players getting away to go and play,” Hateley said. “That’s what I did back in the day.
“You have young players hovering around the first team who are maybe not getting a game or going to get a game. They get shoved somewhere in the same league.
“Get them away. Get them away to the French second division, Italian football, German football, whatever.
But get them away to a different culture and learn.
“That’s definitely what’s been reinforced to me anyway. You look at the modern younger players in England.
“Jadon Sancho is one who got away and did it. It has to be a benefit, character-building and all that sort of stuff.
“Looking back to my time how many years ago, so many years ago, but it worked.”