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Steven Gerrard has lavished 19-year-old defender Nathan Patterson with praise following his impressive performance against Celtic over the weekend.
, the Rangers manager waxed lyrical about the right-back following his side’s 2-0 win over their Glaswegian rivals in the Scottish FA Cup, with Patterson making just his eighth appearance for his boyhood club as the youngster played the full 90 against the Hoops.
Patterson has enjoyed a breakout year with Rangers this season, with the fullback scoring two goals for the Scottish league champions in 13 appearances for the club and has made for a suitable replacement for James Tavernier, who has missed the past few games with a knee injury.
Indeed, the teenage defender has impressed so well that Gerrard has hailed Patterson as the best Scottish right-back in the division based on form, with the Rangers manager saying: “If there is a better right-back in the country on form, I would like to see it. I would like to see it. If there is a better right-back, on current form, that is Scottish, in the league, I would like to see it.”
Gerrard later added: “He emptied the tank for us today and his performance [against Celtic] was outstanding. He has become a man in a short space of time.”
TBR View: Gerrard will have a tough decision to make next season over right-back position
For supporters of any club, there’s nothing quite like watching a kid from the academy rise into the first-team ranks and make a name for themselves amongst the big-guns of the team, yet for Gerrard, Patterson’s rise will likely raise some questions ahead of next season.
Whilst the teenager has been in fine form with Tavernier on the injury table, the Rangers captain has been one of the club’s best performers this season and a key clog in the club’s dominance in Scotland and their impressive run in the UEFA Europa League, and with the 29-year-old nearly back to full fitness, Gerrard will need to make a big decision in the summer as to who takes the starting spot at right-back.