Anthony Patterson was born on 10 May 2000 in North Shields, England, and grew up in the north-east football environment that surrounds Sunderland. He came through the club's academy and was regarded early as a goalkeeper with the temperament to handle senior football, progressing through the youth sides before receiving loan experience away from the Stadium of Light.
His early senior development included a loan spell at Notts County, where regular match rhythm helped turn academy promise into practical goalkeeping habits. Returning to Sunderland, he benefited from a period in which the club leaned heavily on homegrown players and young professionals, and he took his opportunity as Sunderland rebuilt from the lower divisions.
By the time Sunderland returned to the Premier League, Patterson had become one of the club's clearest academy success stories. As of May 2026 he is listed as a Sunderland goalkeeper in the Premier League, carrying the unusual value of being both a local product and a player with promotion-era continuity.
Internationally, Patterson has been involved around England youth and under-21 discussions, though senior caps have not yet arrived. His pathway remains primarily club-defined for now, and any future international role will depend on how he handles Premier League volume and the competition among English goalkeepers. This section should be updated if a senior international breakthrough follows.
Standing around 1.89 m, Patterson is a right-footed goalkeeper with good reflexes, a calm set position and improving distribution. He is not built around theatrical saves alone; his appeal is steadiness, repeatable technique and familiarity with Sunderland's defensive structure, a profile that recalls the early club-grounded years of Jordan Pickford without needing to mirror his personality.