Suspended Barton regrets Burnley exit

Joey Barton shocked football when he opted to leave Premier League-bound Burnley for Scottish giants Rangers this summer, but the midfielder says he already regrets his decision.

Barton, who signed a two-year deal at Ibrox, has been suspended by the club for three weeks after a heated training confrontation with Andy Halliday and an unauthorised radio interview – where he criticised his team-mates after their 5-1 loss to bitter rivals Celtic.

Barton helped Burnley earn promotion back to England’s top flight last year and it was expected he would lead Sean Dyche’s men into the Premier League.

The 34-year-old remains convinced he will be successful at Rangers but says had he known the size of the challenge he would have turned them down.

“Knowing what I know now? Reflecting on it, would I have made the same decision? Probably not,” he said.

Photo by Jan Kruger/Getty Images

“I’ve even been honest with people about that. There is an honesty that I am operating which means some people think I’m critiquing them.

“But I know that in time it will turn out to be the right decision.”

Despite winning promotion, Barton says he felt the time was right to leave Turf Moor – prompting the club to sign Belgian international Steven Defour as his replacement.

“I felt it had run its course. I needed another challenge, another experience, even though there have been days since then when I’ve thought: ‘Why? Why did I do that?” he added.

“But I’ve got to believe in Rangers even if it’s been much harder than I expected.”