It was only a Patter of time before Nathan got a big move
Murty knew kid had star quality moment he took on Thuram
GRAEME MURTY has enjoyed watching Andy Robertson grow into all the modern full-back should be at the highest level.
But playing a part in nursing Nathan Patterson into another potential national superstar in the position, on the opposite flank, was another thrill entirely for the Liverpool and Scotland fan.
The 20-year-old is on the brink of a blockbuster move to Robertson’s rivals Everton.
And Murty expects Patterson to take the Premier League challenge in his stride.
Murty left his Rangers elite academy role in November after five years. He was Patterson’s development squad coach before the future star stormed into the Ibrox first team and it’s no shock to him a top English club have come in for him.
Murty said: “Look at Nathan’s profile, he fits into any scheme you want to play. The guy can play full-back and wing-back.
“He’s so adaptable and game intelligent that he could pick up core principles for any system really well.
“So I’m not surprised there was Premier League interest in him. He’s very clever, he’s funny, he can be intense.
“But what always impressed me was that nothing seems to faze him, whatever the level.
“He goes in with a real sense of confidence. He understands and trusts his own game so well.
“Nathan has always had a strong sense of self, an idea of what he’s good at. He doesn’t try to do anything he’s not comfortable with.”
Murty feared the worst before one of his early sightings of the youngster.
Scotland Under-16s faced the French with the physical difference between Patterson and Khephren Thuram on his side huge.
But the quality of Patterson’s play was startling – even in a defeat to Nice star Thuram and more mature colleagues.
Murty said: “There’s this little, underdeveloped guy wearing the biggest pair of shorts I’d ever seen, playing against Lilian Thuram’s son who was 15 and he looked like a man.
“There were some real specimens on the pitch and that one looked like a physical mismatch. But I don’t think Nathan gave the ball away once.
“They just couldn’t get it off him – despite him being physically behind – because his technical capacity, awareness, subtlety and delivery to teammates was top drawer. And that’s always been there.
“You’re always going to give him that time because you knew if he grew into the man he’s starting to be now, then he was going to have a really big impact. He’s looking like a real athlete now.
“The way he deals with pressure situations, with a pass or holding the ball in, is a wonderful part to his game that will stand him in really good stead.”
With full-backs Robertson and Kieran Tierney starring for Liverpool and Arsenal, Patterson hasn’t been short of role models. But the youngster was lucky to have James Tavernier to look up to on his side at Ibrox.
Murty added: “Look at the guy who’s been playing in Nathan’s position for Rangers, the club captain.
“And look at what he’s done at Rangers in terms of assists, impact in the final third. It’s exactly what you look at from a modern, attacking full-back. People say there are deficiencies in Tav’s game. Well, there are deficiencies in everyone’s game.
“Nathan has looked at this guy. You never want anyone to be a clone but you look at attributes and try to embrace and bring them to
the fore. I didn’t really start working with Nathan until he was 16, 17.
“You may have worked with a player, may have been there and facilitated something. You might even be the one coach this player really resonated with. But ultimately the player got better and you helped. That’s what I believe.
“When Nathan made his firstteam debut, Craig Mulholland and I sat there like two proud parents watching this kid play – just the way he did at 15 – receiving it really nicely, driving inside. It looked so easy for him.”
Murty, capped four times by Scotland and a Reading rightback legend, admits his role has been transformed. He added: “Nathan has always been a fullback but possesses a level of subtlety and craft that years ago they either didn’t have or didn’t need to have because we were only supporting the attack.
“Now they’re an integral part of the attack. What you scout at the position now is very different to when I played.
“Nathan, for example, has to be very comfortable in possession, spend a lot of time in the opposition half and possess a final-third delivery and impact.
“Basically he’s a winger just arriving from deeper.
“Rather than me feeding the ball to a winger, like I used to do, he’s actually driving past and doing it himself. Steve Clarke is in a wonderful position with different tactical answers in personnel to the different challenges he’s going to face in a game.”