Best XI to play with Joey Barton

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The controversial midfielder has played for Manchester City, Newcastle United, Queens Park Rangers, Marseille, Burnley and Rangers.

Joey Barton and former teammate Nicolas Anelka

Joey Barton is currently enjoying life away from the professional game, having been suspended from footballing activity by the FA a couple of months ago. He is now serving an 18 month ban due to breaking rules relating to gambling on football matches. Prior to his ban, Barton was playing for Burnley, but is now out of contract aged 34.

Born on Merseyside, Barton began his professional career with Manchester City, where he would spend five years in the first team. From Manchester to Newcastle, Barton spent the next four years with the Magpies, before turning out for QPR, Marseille, Burnley and Rangers.

In February 2007, Barton won his sole cap for England, coming on in the 78th minute of a friendly against Spain. This starting XI only includes players that Barton played with at club level though. Here is our best XI to play with Joey Barton:

Peter Schmeichel

Peter Schmeichel and Joey Barton played together at Manchester City

Joey Barton has played alongside a handful of good goalkeepers in his time. David James, Shay Given and even Tom Heaton deserve a mention, but Peter Schmeichel pips all three. Regarded as one of the greatest goalkeepers of all-time, Barton played alongside the Manchester United legend for a season at Manchester City in his first year with the first team (2002-03).

Rod Fanni

Joey Barton spent a season on-loan in Ligue 1 with Marseille, where he played alongside some gifted players. Former French international Rod Fanni takes the right-back slot in this team. The experienced defender has come close to making a move to the Premier League with West Ham, Everton and Newcastle, but aged 35, he’s currently back at Marseille.

Fabricio Coloccini

Fabricio Coloccini had his highs and his lows at Newcastle United, but overall he was a fine servant to the Magpies over his eight years at St James’ Park. The 35-year-old played 275 games for Newcastle, as well as winning 39 caps for Argentina, which included winning an Olympic gold medal in 2004. Coloccini was named in the 2011-12 Premier League PFA Team of the Year, alongside the likes of Gareth Bale and Robin van Persie.

Richard Dunne

Four-time Man City Player of the Year Richard Dunne

Burnley centre-back Michael Keane may consider himself unfortunate to miss out on this XI, but whilst Richard Dunne may have been an own goal and red card specialist, it is worth remembering that he was named Manchester City’s Player of the Year in 2005, 2006, 2007 and 2008. That is some record, and whilst he was less impressive alongside Barton at QPR, he is in this XI due to his Man City days.

Jose Enrique

Newcastle United signed Jose Enrique from Villarreal in 2007, and he had four very good seasons at St James’ Park, before making a £7 million move to Liverpool. Things didn’t really work out for the Spaniard at Anfield, but that doesn’t change how impressive he was in the North East.

James Milner

On the right side of midfield is a player who has been converted first into a central midfielder and more recently into a left-back since leaving Newcastle United, but in his two seasons alongside Barton with the Magpies, he was very much a right winger. Capped 61 times by England, Milner is a hard working and versatile player who has won two Premier League titles. Manuel Pellegrini described him as the most complete English player in the modern game.

Yohan Cabaye

Former Newcastle United duo Yohan Cabaye and Cheick Tiote

Yohan Cabaye and Joey Barton barely played together, with Barton leaving Newcastle for QPR shortly after the Frenchman arrived at St James’ Park. But they did feature alongside one and another in midfield a couple of times, and Cabaye went on to become a key player at Newcastle, before making a big move to PSG. The 31-year-old is now back in the Premier League with Crystal Palace.

Cheick Tiote

It is an all ex-Newcastle affair in the centre of midfield, with Cheick Tiote partnering Yohan Cabaye. The former Ivory Coast international only left Newcastle in February 2017, and tragically died earlier this month after suffering a probably cardiac arrest during a Beijing Enterprises training session. Tiote was a tough tackling anchor man in midfield and partnered Barton in the Newcastle midfield for most of the 2010-11 season.

Mathieu Valbuena

Barton’s second former Marseille teammate in this XI, Mathieu Valbuena is revered in Marseille, where he spent eight years. He won the club’s Player of the Year award in the season Barton was on-loan at the Stade Veledrome. A diminutive midfield player with excellent close control and a real burst of acceleration, Valbuena can play on either wing or through the middle. He has won 52 caps for France and joined Turkish side Fenerbahce last week.

Charlie Austin

Ex-QPR poacher Charlie Austin

It would be a valid question to ask how Charlie Austin makes this XI when the likes of Andy Cole, Michael Owen and Mark Viduka all miss out, but it has to be taken into consideration the players abilities at the time Barton played alongside them. All three of those players were past their best, and none had a season like Charlie Austin did alongside Barton at QPR in 2014-15, when he bagged 18 Premier League goals in a relegated side.

Nicolas Anelka

Bringing more than a touch of class to proceedings in this XI is Nicolas Anelka. An incredibly gifted centre-forward who turned out for the likes of Chelsea and Real Madrid in an illustrious career, the Frenchman also spent two-and-a-half seasons alongside Barton at Manchester City. The club’s top scorer in both of his full seasons in Manchester, Anelka left the club to join Fenerbahce, but later returned to the Premier League with Bolton Wanderers and Chelsea, winning the Golden Boot for the 2008-09 season.

Possibly the best player Joey Barton played alongside – Nicolas Anelka