Steven Pressley believes Rangers ’ decision to appeal Nathan Patterson’s ban for breaching Covid rules is based on how important he is to them.
The full back has been hit with a six game ban for attending an illegal house party along with teammates Calvin Bassey, Bongani Zungu, Dapo Mebude, and Brian Kinnear.
Steven Gerrard said he was confused at the punishment handed out by the Scottish FA and claimed that the governing body was “cutting their nose of to spite their face” given Patterson ’s potential and his chances of making Scotland’s Euro 2020.
Gerrad also cited the player’s age, but with captain James Tavernier out injured, Pressley suggested that Patterson’s increased importance to Rangers just now is why Gerrard has hit out.
He said: “It’s the importance of the player and it's the same when the club deals with the punishment.
“The severity of the punishment the club hands out to the players will be dependent on the value of that player to the club. Nathan Patterson is one of their most valuable young players.
“So one, they’re going to try and defend him and two, the punishment that they’re also going to have to give to the other players to show consistency, will probably be not as great as it would’ve been.
“That is the bottom line; it will always be down to what the value is of the player to the club.”
Gerrard also cited Patterson’s age as a mitigating factor, and Pressley conceded he had a point on that front.
He told BBC Sportsound. “On age, I get the Zungu is 28 but when I was a young 19-year-old professional footballer and I look back at my career and my behaviour, it certainly wasn’t the same as it was when I was 28 or 29. I was a far more mature guy and had a better understanding of life.”
