Report: Barton unlikely to play for Rangers again after betting ban

Joey Barton's tumultuous tale north of the border is winding down to a rather anti-climatic end.

BBC Sport's Chris McLaughlin understands Barton's disciplinary process has reached an impasse after the midfielder refused to attend a hearing at Rangers, with no training return set for Monday, and an increasing likelihood that he'll never turn out for the Glaswegian outfit again.

The 34-year-old opted to leave Burnley in the summer for Mark Warburton's side amid much fanfare, but an alleged altercation with teammate Andy Halliday after a damaging 5-1 loss to archrival Celtic, and the subsequent Scottish FA ban for breaching betting rules, have promptly marred the latest stop in the controversial player's career.

Related: Rangers' Barton charged for alleged football bets

The SFA believes Barton bet on 44 matches between July 1 and Sept. 15, a clear breach of the organisation's law which states no players, coaches, club officials, and referees can gamble on football matches across the world.

The one-time England international's playing days have been sullied by several disciplinary issues. Most notably, Barton was imprisoned in 2007 for four months after assaulting then-Manchester City teammate Ousmane Dabo during a training session.

Since Barton has been suspended from Rangers involvement, the club has won three matches, drawn one, and lost one.