FRANK Lampard expects versatile new signing Jamie Paterson to provide valuable competition at the top end of his Coventry City squad.
Paterson became Lampard’s second signing as Sky Blues head coach, joining on a free transfer until the end of the season prior to City’s victory at Sheffield Wednesday last weekend.
Lampard praised the 33-year-old’s attitude in training and believes the Coventry-born Sky Blues fan will give his all for the club on the pitch.
Lampard said: “He’s a player I’ve admired before from when I was at Derby, and he was at Bristol City.
“He’s a good player and when the opportunity came about for him to train with us, as a Coventry City fan and a Coventry lad, still fit, but needed fitness because he hadn’t played for a bit, we were helping him, and he was good to have around.
“What he has done has really impressed with his attitude and he has added to the group on and off the pitch at the training ground.
“He has good experience, and he is a really good player and now he has got fit, so he is a really good addition for us this season to give us competition in different areas, because he’s very versatile across the front and we’re really pleased to have him.
“He wants to come here, and he wants to help, and he wants to show he’s a good player and he’s giving off that impression.
“You can see it in him [that he’s a Coventry fan] that he’s excited and he loves the club, and I think that’s something I relate to, and I hope fans relate to.”
The forward has made just shy of 500 career appearances scoring 82 goals and featured on the bench in City’s late weekend win at Hillsborough.
And while Lampard has earmarked a place for Paterson on the left-hand side, the City boss believes the veteran forward will give his side plenty of options across the front line.
Lampard added: “My feeling is predominately he will be a player that can play off the left for us or maybe play in behind.
“He can offer us options in game potentially going along, so I don’t think we need to sort of pin him down to one particular spot.
“I think the quality is there for us to see in terms of his record.
“We’re still a relatively young squad, so adding experience and his versatility as well as his voice in training and attitude in training, those are good things for other players to look up to and see.
“In the period he’s been here, not knowing exactly what it’s going to be, he’s acted like our player and that’s been really impressive to me.”
Paterson could make his Coventry debut against Preston North End this weekend (Saturday, February 22, kick-off 3pm).
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