Mark Warburton’s Glasgow Rangers recently terminated Joey Barton’s Ibrox contract.
Former Nottingham Forest and Newcastle United defender Stuart Pearce revealed on the Sky Sports Now show on Sky Sports News HQ on Friday morning (broadcast from 10am, November 11, 2016) the discussion he had with Joey Barton in the summer.
Barton joined Rangers in the summer transfer window after leaving Burnley at the end of the 2015-16 campaign.
The former Newcastle United midfielder was a key figure in the Clarets achieving promotion from the Championship to the Premier League.
Rangers had earned automatic promotion from the Scottish Championship to the Scottish Premiership at the end of the 2015-16 season.
Barton arrived at Ibrox amid hype and expectation, but the English midfielder’s contract with the Glasgow giants was recently terminated.
Former Manchester City manager Pearce has revealed what he discussed with the 34-year-old midfielder over the summer.
“I thought it was a real good match actually in going up to Rangers,” said Pearce on the Sky Sports Now show on Sky Sports News HQ on Friday morning (broadcast from 10am, November 11, 2016).
“I spoke with him and worked with him in the summer, and I asked, ‘What was your thought process in going to Rangers?’
“He just felt as though lots of teams are on the up and ‘Do I need to stay at Burnley and struggle a little bit in the Premier League or a new challenge?’ and I thought, ‘Well, I can see the sensibility in that’.”
Rangers are third in the Scottish Premiership table at the moment with 20 points from 12 matches.
Mark Warburton’s side are just a point behind second-placed Aberdeen, and 11 points behind leaders and Old Firm rivals Celtic, who have a game in hand.
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