Joey Barton set for Burnley return
Joey Barton has agreed a contract to return to Burnley until the end of the season after a controversial spell at Scottish outfit Rangers was cut short in November, the east Lancashire side announced Tuesday.
The 34-year-old midfielder skippered Burnley during its promotion to the Premier League in 2015-16, then opted to move north of the border last summer.
Barton was ushered back into Burnley training by manager Sean Dyche in November in a bid to regain fitness while he was unattached. His brief stint at Rangers included a suspension from the Scottish Football Association (SFA) due to betting on 44 matches between July 1 and Sept. 15 this year, and a training ground bust-up with manager Mark Warburton and teammate Andy Halliday following September's embarrassing 5-1 loss to Old Firm rival Celtic.
The one-time England international and Rangers parted ways soon thereafter, an unceremonious end that failed to live up to the adulation he received when joining - apparently taking a £15,000 paycut to do so - and the confident self-assessment Barton offered.
"I am comfortable with expectation, I'm comfortable with pressure, I'm comfortable with my mindset and focus I have in terms of turning in my own performances," Barton said shortly after his unveiling at Rangers.
"If I get to that level, unfortunately for anybody up there, they ain't going to live with me."
After a string of bad performances and disciplinary issues, it was only Rangers and the SFA that couldn't live with Barton.
His poor behaviour came with precedent. During his time with Manchester City, his various sore points included fighting with a 15-year-old Everton fan during a preseason tour of Thailand, and later serving jail time for assaulting then-teammate Ousmane Dabo in training.
In addition to countless off-pitch issues, his aggressive demeanour on the pitch has also led to 74 yellow cards and six red cards over his 255 Premier League outings.
Burnley snapped him up in summer 2015, despite his previous disparaging remarks about the town on Twitter, and he went on to be named in the Championship's PFA Team of the Year and received the club's Player of the Year honour. Considering his exploits over that year-long sojourn, his battling qualities are likely to be warmly welcomed back by the Turf Moor faithful.
His return to Burnley is subject to international clearance, which is hoped to be received when the transfer window opens in January.
If fit, Barton could be in contention to make his second debut for the Clarets in Jan. 7's FA Cup third-round trip to Sunderland. He'll be unavailable to travel for Jan. 2's clash at former club Manchester City due to the gambling ban he was given by the SFA.