Nathan and Scott both show the attitude Clarke craves
Scotland manager, Steve Clarke, believes Nathan Patterson epitomises the type of fearless player he wants to have in his side.
Starved of opportunities at Everton last season, the 20-year-old has grabbed the opportunity presented him by Seamus Coleman’s injury to make himself a fixture in the Toffees’ first-team this season.
He will head into this afternoon’s visit of West Ham with the proud record of having played every minute of every game for his club this season.
That’s in sharp contrast to his first few months after moving from Rangers.
As he looked ahead to the Nations League triple header over the next 10 days against Ukraine (twice) and the Republic of Ireland, Clarke said: “Frank Lampard was going to play Nathan against West Ham in the spring, but he got injured in training.
“I said to Frank back then that once the boy gets the chance to play, I’m sure he wouldn’t come out of his team. And, so far, I have been proved right.
“Everybody knows I like Nathan. I like the way he plays full-back, and I like the way he plays wing-back. He plays with the right attitude, and the right spirit.
“He is a great kid and a good character. You can see he is someone who has the desire to be successful.
“He wanted to challenge himself in the English Premier League, and with his performances so far, he has shown he can perform in that division.
“But it has only been a brief spell, and now he has to continue at that level. That is what it is all about.”
Everton fans share Clarke’s enthusiasm. Patterson’s battling display in the Liverpool derby draw helped cement his status as a fans’ favourite.
“They are not dissimilar to supporters up here in that they want to see their boys go into tackles,” Clarke continued.
“They want to see commitment from their players, and they get it from Nathan because that is what he is all about.”
The national coach said he has witnessed similar spirit from Scott McTominay at Manchester United.
“Scott is another one who rises to the challenge,” he said.
“Every time Manchester United make a change of manager, they always say it will mean Scott coming out of the team.
“But he just says: ‘I am not going anywhere,’ which is great.
“Now he has got real competition in the shape of Casemiro, and yet is still holding his place in the team.
“His performances have been good, and he has deserved to play in the team. He is enjoying meeting the challenge.”
Clarke admitted to having a particular soft spot for McTominay because of his versatility.
“I have played Scott as a right-sided centre-back quite often and – contrary to what people say about him – he can play that position, and he plays it very well for us,” said Clarke.
“He also plays the defensive midfield role, where he can sit behind the game – but he can also go box-to-box.
“So he has all those attributes to his game, which is fantastic for me as a coach to have the chance to work with a player like that.
“It is a credit to Scott that he can do that. I am sure if I played him at
right-back, he would be decent as well.
“He just wants to play for his country. He always says: ‘Wherever you want to play me, I will play.’ That is a great attitude.
“When Scott misses a squad, he is devastated because he wants to be here. He wants to be part of a successful squad, as do all these boys.
“This is a group that want to do well for their country. So they suffered in the summer when we didn’t qualify for the World Cup.
“Of course, I suffered too. It wasn’t the outcome we wanted from the games in the summer.
“We wanted to go to the World Cup, and it didn’t happen.
“But football isn’t always about the good times. Sometimes you have to suffer. We suffered together, but we have to move on.
“With the next three games, we have a chance to go and finish top, and qualify for the top group in the Nations League.
“That’s what we’re aiming to do, to resume our progress.”