Sean Dyche slapping Nathan Paterson around....
Everton’s training camp in Portugal this week was marred by an altercation between manager Sean Dyche and several of his players.
Mail Sport has learned Dyche shocked his squad by aiming a jocular slap at the head of defender Nathan Patterson, 22, during a meal in the Algarve resort of Quinta do Lago.
Dyche’s intentions were harmless and it was an otherwise good-natured evening, but the 52-year-old appears to have connected with Patterson more forcefully than he intended to, leaving some of his players unimpressed.
Scotland right back Patterson was embarrassed to be the centre of attention, and tempers became sufficiently heated for captain James Tarkowski to step in. He took Dyche to one side to allow any lingering ill-feeling to subside.
The pair left the table for a while before returning to finish their meals with the rest of the squad. Dyche is understood to have apologised to Patterson.