Rangers midfielder Joey Barton’s future at Ibrox is already in doubt.
Barry Ferguson
Rangers hero Barry Ferguson has told BBC Sport that he thinks Joey Barton will never play for the club again after his recent controversy.
Barton, 34, has been suspended by Rangers for three weeks after a training ground bust-up with team-mate Andy Halliday in the aftermath of the embarrassing 5-1 defeat to Old Firm rivals Celtic.
Joey Barton applauds fans as he is substituted
Initially banished from the club over the weekend so he missed the 0-0 draw with Ross County, Barton is now gone for three weeks – and many are left wondering whether he’ll ever return to Ibrox.
Rangers’ marquee signing over the summer, Barton had left Burnley on a free transfer having helped the Clarets win promotion to the Premier League last season, and was seen as a major coup for the Gers.
However, Barton has struggled to make an impact in his first eight games for Rangers and was particularly disappointing against Celtic, where he failed to dominate against Scott Brown.
Rangers’ Joey Barton looks dejected
Now, having been suspended, Barton may be on his way out of Ibrox just months into his two-year contract, and former Gers captain Barry Ferguson has now offered his take on the situation.
Ferguson, currently managing Clyde, racked up more than 400 appearances during a long association with Rangers, and has predicted that Barton will never play for Rangers again.
The Ibrox hero also told BBC Sport that he was excited when Barton joined Rangers, but thinks his career under Mark Warburton is over – but doesn’t think Rangers should be delaying their long-term decision on Barton’s future.
Barry Ferguson
“I don’t see a way back now,” said Ferguson. “I’m disappointed because I was excited when he joined Rangers. I thought he would have been a great signing, but I don’t think he’ll play again.”
“The manager is the man at the club who makes the decisions and it’s clear to me he’s not happy with what Joey’s done. I think Joey knows himself that he won’t play for Rangers again. But I don’t see why it takes four weeks [to resolve the situation]. It’s not good for the players or the fans – they want to know what’s going on,” he added.
Do you think Barton will ever play for Rangers again?
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