Nathan Patterson

Who is Nathan Patterson?

Nathan Kenneth Patterson, simply known as Nathan Patterson, was born on 16 October 2001. Nathan is a Scottish footballer who plays as a defender for the Scottish Premiership giants Rangers.

Patterson had to overcome shyness to discover his roar among seasoned pros desperate to tear down Celtic’s bid for history and deliver the first trophy in a decade at Ibrox. That Nathan did was no fluke.

His pathway to belonging in Steven Gerrard’s top club was set out in fine detail by his masters at Rangers Training Centre. Michael Beale has lifted the lid on how the Gers coaching staff deliberately opened up the route for Patterson to make his stunning breakthrough, which he admits has even taken him aback.

Footballers who may have rivalled the teenager for the back-up right-back spot were released to clear the way. On 21 December 2019, Nathan signed a new Rangers deal, keeping him at Ibrox until 2022.

Patterson made his debut on 17 January 2020 in a Scottish Cup game with Stranraer at Ibrox. Nathan made his league debut with Kilmarnock on 22 August 2020, coming on as a substitute in the 86th minute in a 2–0 victory.

The 19-year-old defender made his European debut on 10 December 2020, starting in a 2–0 away victory over Polish club Lech Poznań. Patterson scored his first goal for the Gers on 25 February 2021, in a UEFA Europa League game with Royal Antwerp, scoring 16.6 seconds after coming on as a second-half substitute.

The Scottish defender played regularly for the Gers during the later part of the 2020–21 campaign, deputising for the injured James Tavernier, until he was suspended for breaching Covid-19 pandemic rules.

In February 2021, Nathan was one of five Gers footballers fined by Scottish police “for attending an illegal gathering of 10 men in a flat” in breach of lockdown rules during the Covid-19 pandemic. Nathan and the other footballers were banned for six matches by the SFA for the breach, although part of that sentence was suspended.

What is Nathan Patterson’s international career like?

Nathan has represented Scotland at many youth levels up to U21s. Patterson was added to the entire national squad for the first time in May 2021, ahead of the delayed UEFA Euro 2020 competition. Nathan made his full international debut in a pre-competition friendly with Luxembourg. Patterson is a very talented footballer and can achieve big success in the future.