Rangers parts ways with Joey Barton

Rangers FC announced Thursday the club has terminated the contract of controversial midfielder Joey Barton by mutual consent, just six months after he signed a two-year deal with the Scottish side.

The move comes after Barton was suspended for three weeks for being involved in training ground bust-ups with teammate Andy Halliday and manager Mark Warburton.

The 34-year-old was reportedly given time off from training due to stress while his agent negotiated a severance package.

The former Manchester City and Newcastle man has courted controversy for incidents throughout his career, including a 2007 assault on City teammate Ousmane Dabo, as well as being caught on CCTV assaulting a man in Liverpool in 2008, which landed him a jail sentence.