Nathan Patterson discusses the fitness problems at Everton, the influence of a 34-year-old star, and the effect of Sean Dyche.

Nathan Patterson is determined to answer Sean Dyche’s plea to increase Everton’s goal output from different areas of the pitch.

The Blues boss admitted last season that: “We want more of a goalscoring threat,” with Everton finishing the campaign with just 34 goals from 38 games. Despite being a right-back, Patterson took just three games to score his first goal for Scotland and five to break his duck with Rangers but after 22 matches in England, he is yet to find his net.

Patterson’s captain Seamus Coleman – the man he has been brought to Goodison Park to be the long-term successor to – revolutionised the position at the club when it came to potency in the opposition half. He predecessor, Tony Hibbert, famously made the most appearances for Everton by an outfield player without scoring (328) but Coleman has found the net 28 times in his 409 games to date, including seven back in the 2013/14 season.

It’s a dimension that Patterson – who set up Tom Cannon for an inviting chance at Stade Nyonnais on Friday only for the striker to drag his shot wide – believes he can bring to his game. He told the ECHO: “I just want to try and play as many games as possible, making sure I stay fit and doing everything I can to help the team through goals and assists. I want to be consistent as I possibly can in terms of giving my best performances for the team.

“I think if I can get my games, those numbers will come because I love to get forward and be providing for the team because it makes it really enjoyable. I’m full of energy so I want to make sure I’m doing that.”

Although Patterson is returning from injury himself having damaged his hamstring in Everton’s penultimate fixture of last season at Molineux, he remains ahead of skipper Coleman – who stayed behind at Finch Farm to continue his rehabilitation while 28 of his team-mates embarked on their training camp by the shores of Lake Geneva – when it comes to his current fitness and is looking to secure a starting berth on the opening day for the second consecutive campaign. Despite the pair competing for the same place in the side, the 21-year-old reveals the Republic of Ireland international has been a source of constant support since he signed.

He said: “I can’t speak highly enough of Seamus. Ever since I first came through the door he’s been great with me, he’s worked hard with me and he always praises me.

“I just try and learn as much as I can because it would be stupid if I didn’t. He’s a top player but he’s a top guy as well.

“We’ve never had any altercations between each other, it’s always been a good spirit and a good team between us because he just wants the best for the club and if that’s me playing ahead of him, he loves it.”

Both Patterson and Coleman struggled with injuries last season – with the pair out, Dyche had to start midfielder James Garner at right-back for Everton’s survival showdown against Bournemouth on the final day – but the Glaswegian now believes he is in top shape after bulking up his frame to cope with the rigours of Premier League football. He said: “You just try and play as much as you can and stay fit. Hopefully I can get myself fit and ready for the start of the season to get a good run of games.

“When I was at Rangers, I hardly ever had injuries so it was kind of a new thing for me. When you’re trying so hard to push back, your body has a lot of trauma so I’ll be working on my body this year, making sure I’m keeping myself as fit as possible.

“I’ve worked hard since I’ve been here, I went from 75kg to 80kg and I’m sitting there every day comfortably so I think that’s the weight I’m at now. My body is more used to it so I’ll just be keeping on top of it and making sure I’m feeling great for each game.

“It’s a completely different style of football, everyone is an athlete and everyone has trained with the top players and that’s why they’re with the clubs they’re at in the best league in the world. You’re not going to come up against someone who is not athletic and who is not going to be a challenge so you need to make sure you’re in the best physical shape possible.”

The right-back isn’t the only Everton squad member who has been grafting though. After the 2-1 win in Nyon, Dyche told the ECHO: “Everyone worked very hard this week,” and Patterson reports that there have been no examples of the so-called “bar-lowerers” that previous manager Frank Lampard spoke of in a recent interview.

He said: “The new manager has instilled in us the need to burn as much as we can in every game and I think everyone is on board now. You can see the attitude of the players in training, the standards are getting driven each day to get higher and higher, everyone is buying into it and that’s what you need.

“It’s been tough but enjoyable. Obviously we’ve been staying in a nice location and a lot of the lads have been as bright as we’ve ever been and everyone is looking forward to the season ahead and looking sharp.”

Patterson is particularly eager to get back playing after being forced to endure Everton’s nerve-shredding game against the Cherries on May 28 from the sidelines as Abdoulaye Doucoure’s goal saved them from what would have been a first relegation in 72 years. He said: “It was a bad time to get an injury but the lads managed to stick through it and get us over the line. In the summer I put some work in to make sure I was fit to come back and I’m just looking forward to hitting the ground running.

“I thought we started the game well at Wolves and were on top but it was just a bad injury to get, especially at that stage of the season. I was disappointed because I’d had quite a hard season with injuries.

“It was harder to watch the final game of the season rather than play in it. I think when you’re playing, you need to take the emotion out and just play the game but when you’re there as a fan, you’re part of the club and you know how big it is for the club to stay in the Premier League, it was a horrible day but in the end it was a good day.

“I was sat just next to the bench with the team. It was an uncomfortable day to say the least, sitting there sweating like everyone else but the lads dug deep and managed to get the result so we were all just delighted.”

Since then there has been just one addition to the squad in the shape of Ashley Young, who met up with his new team-mates last Thursday but given that the latest arrival made his senior bow when Patterson was less than two years old, the younger man believes he can learn a lot from him too. He said: “You can just see the quality Ash has. He’s been in the game for so long and has had so many experiences in the Premier League so he’s a great player to have in the team.

“Of course I’d like to still be playing at this level when I’m his age, it’s phenomenal that he’s still doing it. You can see with his body that he’s kept himself really fit so it’s credit to him for making sure he’s always in top shape.”