RANGERS Academy graduate Nathan Patterson has thanked the Academy for preparing him so well for life as a permanent member of Steven Gerrard’s first-team squad.
The 18-year-old right back made his competitive debut for the Light Blues in the Scottish Cup victory over Stranraer at Ibrox in January and his development throughout 2020 has been so impressive he is now part of the top team.
Nathan’s years in the Rangers Academy has helped prepare him perfectly for the first-team environment he is now thriving in and he is quick to praise the youth staff who have given him the perfect platform to hone his skills.
Patterson, pictured promoting The Rangers Youth Development Company – whose profits have contributed almost £9 million to the Academy, said: “When you join the Academy your main aim is to get to the first team. I joined when I was 8 and now I have progressed so far so I couldn’t be happier.
“You go through each year, try and do your best to progress and show your coach you deserve to be here and I have done that for the past 10 years.
“It has been a long journey but a very enjoyable one and I’m grateful to all the academy staff who have helped me along the way.
“Every coach I worked with had different methods of working and that has been great to experience too. I learned so much during my time at the academy.
“The Academy Games Programme also really helped me step up to the next level.
“Scottish football is obviously different from European or International Football and playing friendly games against different academy teams from top leagues around the world was really beneficial.
“All the boys really enjoyed those games and they definitely help us develop.
“Playing in the youth Champions League last was also a really good learning experience for me. We progressed so well, played against a lot of tough teams and we really enjoyed it.
“We faced the challenge of playing against some big European teams and we done really well. Every team presented a great challenge and although we lost to Atletico Madrid in the end we had a positive run.
“I found out I was part of the first-team squad when we came back for pre-season training. I had initials on my kit and a space in the first-team dressing room and I was delighted with that.
“It has given me so much confidence and now I need to keep working hard and kick on.”
Nathan isn’t taking his promotion to the first-team for granted and he is determined to learn and improve every day. He knows it will be difficult for him to displace captain James Tavernier from the starting line-up but he is relishing the chance to learn from the Light Blues skipper.
He continued: “Tav is the captain and has been playing really well so I know I need to wait for my chance. But I will be ready for any opportunity that comes my way.
“He scores so many goals and has so many assists and is a key player for Rangers. He makes an impact in any every game he plays and is one of the best players in the team.
“So learning from him in training and I games is only going to benefit my game.
“The standard of first-team training is so high and I want to match those standards and kick on to be a better player.
“Any opportunity that comes my way I will take. You need to be ready and train well every single day to give yourself the chance to play.
“I used to be a right winger when I was younger but I moved to right back and that has been my position ever since.
“I am working hard on all aspects of my game and the modern day defender has attacking and defensive responsibilities.
“I am really enjoying being part of the first-team squad. When you first go round to train with them you notice the step up in quality and the intensity and you need to learn to adapt to that as quickly as possible.
“I have seen a different side to the game and now I am expected to have the same standards as the rest of the squad. It is great to have that responsibility and pressure on my shoulders.
“There is pressure on you when you are training with the first-team at a young age as you have the chance to impress the manager and now I am so grateful to be part of the squad permanently.
“I was buzzing to make my debut against Stranraer earlier this year. It was a good crowd at Ibrox and I had to go and do a good job. I really enjoyed the game. I just went out and tried to show the fans what I could do.
“Hopefully I can play as many games as possible this season. I want to get as many minutes under my belt as possible and be the best player I can be.”
Players like Nathan truly benefit from annual RYDC support and they have donated almost £9 million to the Rangers Academy since 2002.
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