Having been one of Russell Martin’s stars in his early days as Swansea City manager, Jamie Paterson’s career just hasn’t been going according to plan lately.
The striker scored eight goals and recorded four assists before being sidelined for five consecutive games due to a contract dispute with Swansea’s owners in January 2022.
That run was followed by a further six goals for the striker in the closing stages of his debut season in south Wales, but injury ruled him out of his second season at the club after signing a contract extension.
It looked all but certain that he would be gone in January, and even after a departure failed to materialise, Martin admitted there was no place for Paterson in the squad any time soon.
However, after returning to action at Luton Town last month, Paterson made his first appearance for the Swans in almost four months at Wigan Athletic on Monday and finally showed signs that he could once again be a key player for the club.
Indeed, the 31-year-old caused plenty of trouble for Charlie Hughes and Tendai Daric on the Latics right wing, and it was his guile and directness that led to Joel Pireau opening the scoring at DW Stadium.
Paterson, who was replaced by Liam Cullen in the 73rd minute, ended the game with two shots, two dribbles and two tackles, showing his willingness to change defensively. They also looked unlucky not to win a penalty in the first half.
“I think Pato was excellent today,” Martin said of the playmaker’s effort against Sean Maloney’s side.
“I think he had fun, I think he was excellent, especially in the first half. He got a little tired in the second half, but I’m really happy for him.”
“I’ve spoken to you several times lately about his energy, how well he works in the group and how he trains him.
“I think he’s gotten to the point where he feels 100% physically, and we haven’t had that all season. Sometimes it’s hard when physically you don’t feel 100% mentally, spiritually or whatever. I also want to call it 100 percent and give it every ounce of energy I have.
“It’s difficult, it’s frustrating, but it’s part of being a football player. But he recovered very well and came back after a difficult period for the team and I don’t think it’s a coincidence that the energy in the group was good and although he wasn’t on the field as much as before. He liked it, and today is his first start, he definitely helped us achieve the desired results.”
Martin is well aware of the importance of his team’s opposition and the Swans are looking to end the campaign on a high note with 10 of their last 12 points on offer.
For a player like Paterson, who may have been considered redundant in the summer, the last five games of the 2022/23 season are also hugely important.
Swansea are likely to lose a number of players towards the end of the current campaign and Paterson could yet be one of them. Though his impressive performances for Wigan at least showed there was light at the end of the tunnel for the player after a tumultuous 15 months.
Source: Wales Online

I’m George Gonzalez, a professional journalist and author at The Nation View. With more than 5 years of experience in the field, I specialize in covering sports news for various print media outlets. My passion for writing has enabled me to craft stories that capture the attention of readers all over the world.