Poor old Joey Barton. When he’s not making inappropriate statements on social media, or getting sent off for all the wrong reasons he gets tricked by his best friends. In his Autobiography which was released recently, he revealed the events that transpired in 2011.
Barton has played for several middle table teams in his life, playing for the likes of Manchester City (before they became rich), QPR, Newcastle United and even Marseille. The Englishman has had his fair share of screw ups, currently plying his trade at Rangers.
In 2011, he was on his way to Queens park Rangers to finalize a deal with the club along with his agent Willie McKay. That's when Mckay got a call on his phone with the words ‘Sir Alex’ popping up on the screen.
Mckay picked it up and answered. “I've seen what you're up to on Sky. Don't go doing anything silly now. Why don't you come here and we'll have a conversation?” Obviously, Barton was excited by the opportunity and wrote what he was thinking at that moment in the biography.
“Finally, a big club, and a great manager, had come to their senses. I would give Manchester United's midfield a bit of bite, an injection of urgency. “What are you waiting for?” I asked McKay. "Turn the bloody car round”
The agent had to come clean after that call and told Barton that it was a hoax from his close friend Joe who was able to almost perfectly replicate the voice of the great Scotsman. Barton reached the QPR training ground and signed on the dotted line.
Barton is no doubt a very talented midfielder but is career suffered because of his attitude both on and off the pitch. It looked like he was going to clean up his image at Rangers his current club but he’s already blown a fuse as we speak.
He was suspended by the club this month, after he had a brawl with one of his teammates during training. It would have been really surprising if Sir Alex Ferguson was genuinely interested in signing Barton.
Luckily in 2011 he had the likes of Scholes and Carrick in his team which ensured he did not need the services of the Englishman at the club. Barton missed out on winning the league at least once in his lifetime. He might have to be satisfied with the Scottish Premiership if Rangers manage to win the title before he retires.
