Rangers midfielder Joey Barton has been suspended, putting his Ibrox future in doubt.
Rangers manager Mark Warburton with’ Joey Barton
Rangers legend Graeme Souness has been quoted by The Scottish Sun as saying that he thinks midfielder Joey Barton still has something to offer the club.
Barton, 34, was Rangers’ marquee summer signing as he chose to leave Burnley on a free transfer after their promotion to the Premier League at the end of last season.
Rangers’ Joey Barton looks dejected
With bags of Premier League experience, Barton was viewed as the player who could bring a veteran presence and added quality to the Rangers midfield, but the deal has turned into an absolute disaster.
Barton struggled to make an impression in any of his eight appearances for Rangers and particularly in the 5-1 Old Firm derby defeat to Celtic, before the off-field controversies that have followed Barton through his career cropped up again.
Known as a volatile player, Barton was involved in a training ground row with team-mate Andy Halliday and later manager Mark Warburton, and has now been suspended for three weeks as his Ibrox future appears to be over.
Rangers’ Joey Barton
It’s a real fall from grace for Barton, how has gone from hero to zero in Glasgow in a short space of time, and whilst he appears to be heading for the exit door, Graeme Souness believes Rangers should consider keeping Barton.
Ibrox legend Souness was quoted by The Scottish Sun as saying that he thinks Barton still has plenty to offer on the pitch, and admits he spent time with the player over the summer and found him ‘intelligent, humourous and knowledgeable’.
However, Souness does understand that it’s a difficult situation for Rangers, as it’s important for Warburton to deal with the issue if his authority has indeed been challenged by Barton.
Joey Barton applauds fans as he is substituted
“I’m looking at it from the outside, not trying to influence anybody, but I know Joey’s still got something to offer on the football pitch,” said Souness. “Rangers have a young team and I’m a great believer that unless you have senior pros, you struggle. What I can tell you is that I worked with Joey during the summer and found him to be the exact opposite of what I expected.”
“Intelligent, humorous and knowledgeable about the game and I found him to be really good company and he was really, really excited at the prospect of joining Rangers. If he’s gone too far only the manager can decide that.
“I can’t answer a question about Joey and Mark because I wasn’t there and I don’t know what was said and what way it was said and who it was said in front of which I think will be quite important when you’re a manager challenged in front of your players. It puts you in a very difficult situation,” he added.
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