Scotland manager Steve Clarke has explained his controversial decision not to name Rangers defender Nathan Patterson in his squad for three upcoming World Cup Qualifiers [Glasgow Times]
Right-back has been a problem position for Scotland for some time and many expected a maiden call-up for Patterson, following strong performances in the Premiership and the Europa League.
The 19-year-old didn’t make the squad, though, with Stephen O’Donnell of Motherwell and Sheffield Wednesday’s Liam Palmer getting the nod instead.
Plenty of supporters disagreed with the call, but Clarke says the young Ger needs to get more game time under his belt at club level before being brought into the senior national team setup.
“Nathan Patterson is a very good player and he’s got a very big future in front of him, but he’s only a young boy who’s just broken into the Rangers team,” explained the Scotland boss [Glasgow Times]. “We must give him time to settle in and see how his career goes. But he’s a big player for the future, that’s for sure.”
“He’s done well. But he’s played less than 10 first team games so let’s give the boy a little bit of time to find his feet and keep developing.
“I’m sure that he can be part of the future for Scottish football.”
Patterson has only played 452 minutes of football this season but his performances in recent high-profile European matches prove that he would be able to handle the often slower-paced international game.
Two other Rangers stars did make the squad in Ryan Jack and Jon McLaughlin, with Scotland set to take on Austria, Israel and the Faroe Islands before the end of the month.
Meanwhile, Rangers could benefit with a vote on a major change to Scotland football reportedly on the horizon.
