Sean Dyche has moved to quash rumors surrounding a reported altercation with defender Nathan Patterson during the team’s warm-weather training camp in Portugal.
Reports emerged of Dyche playfully slapping Patterson during a meal at the Algarve resort of Quinta do Lago. However, the incident allegedly left some players, including Patterson himself, feeling unsettled, prompting intervention from Toffees captain James Tarkowski to diffuse tensions.
According to witnesses, the pair briefly left the table before returning to finish their meals alongside the rest of the squad. Dyche, 52, has since publicly addressed the situation, stating, “The old favorite – never let the truth get in the way of a good story.” He went on to explain, “There’s nothing in it, really. It was a joke. I tapped him on the head like your older brother would, and he didn’t get the joke. That was it, basically.”
Scottish international Patterson, who has not featured for Everton since January, is reported to have been left embarrassed by the ordeal. Despite initial discomfort, club sources maintain that the evening was largely good-natured, attributing the incident to a clumsy joke gone awry.
Regarding the ongoing uncertainty surrounding Everton’s potential points deduction, Dyche briefly addressed the matter. The club was previously docked 10 points, later reduced to six, for breaching profit and sustainability rules in the period ending in 2021-22. However, a second charge has since been levied for the subsequent three years up to 2022-23.
“It’s a challenging time for the club,” Dyche remarked, acknowledging the situation but offering no further comment on the matter.