He may have a point.
Danny Mills has taken a break from offering a ludicrous solution to the outrage caused by poppy dispute between Fifa and England to give his take on Joey Barton.
The former Leeds United and England full-back played alongside Barton at Manchester City between 2004 and 2007, during which time Barton was involved in, amongst other things, a bar-room brawl that resulted in him biting Richard Dunne.
Mills says the Rangers midfielder is a “complex character” and a good player, but one who has delusions of grandeur about his own ability. Mills claims Barton is like Roy Keane in the sense that he places extremely high standards on himself and those around him.
However, unlike the former Manchester United captain, he isn’t a world class midfielder.
“Joey is a very good footballer but he is not as good as he thinks he is – and he expects everyone else to be as good as he thinks he is,” Mills told BBC Radio Scotland.
“He’s nowhere near the standard of Roy Keane but it’s like Roy Keane syndrome. He expects everyone else to be at that standard and meet the elevated opinion of himself.
“He expects everyone else to be at that standard and meet the elevated opinion of himself.”
Barton is set to return to training with Rangers, after been suspended since the beginning of September following a training ground bust-up with teammate Andy Halliday and the club’s coaching staff.
However, Mills doesn’t expect Barton’s return to training with the club’s reserves to result in a return to first-team action for the club.
“Training with the kids will frustrate Joey and either he leaves in January or Rangers frustrate him, keep prodding at him and he might snap and they can get away with sacking him,” Mills said.
“If he doesn’t get a move in January then all parties might have to look at the situation. It could turn volatile.”
Mills also said Barton lacks “remorse or empathy for his actions.”
“Joey is difficult to understand. I got changed next to him for four years and was there every time things went wrong for him. He has a personality deficiency where a switch goes and he just goes off track and has no remorse or empathy for his actions.
“In his own head, he probably feels like he hasn’t done anything wrong and doesn’t have anything to apologise for. So he refuses to do so. He just doesn’t have that in his character.
“It seems quite clear that Rangers are trying to freeze him out.”
And it seems quite clear Mills has no faith in Barton turning things around.
Colm O’Rourke and Pauric Mahony join Colm Parkinson on a packed GAA Hour that includes Dick Clerkin appreciation and Sean Cavanagh envy. Subscribe here on iTunes.
