Joey Barton’s mouth has written so many cheques over the years that it would be impossible to cash all of them.
Before his ill-fated switch to Rangers in 2016, Barton predicted that he would dominate Celtic captain Scott Brown in the midfield of the upcoming Old Firm clashes.
Boasting to talkSPORT, Barton said: “People keep talking about Joey Barton and Scott Brown. He ain’t in my league. He is nowhere the level I am as a player. He can’t get to me.
“If I play well, Scott Brown doesn’t stand a chance. That is not me being blasé. That is me just stating what I believe.”
Barton ended up lasting less than six months at Ibrox and endured one of the worst matches of his career when he came out the wrong end of a 5-1 drubbing at the hands of Celtic early on in the season.
Brown enjoyed the better of the exchanges with Barton that afternoon at Celtic Park and claimed the Glasgow derby was no more than “men against boys.”
The war of words continued in the media up to the point that Barton, who is now manager of Fleetwood Town, had his Gers contract terminated after a suspension following a training ground bust-up.
But it feels like Brown’s most recent comment is something of a hammer blow as he was asked during a recent Q&A: “How many times a day do you let Joey Barton out of your pocket for fresh air?”
Celtic’s skipper immediately answered: “Joey’s still in my pocket!”
Ouch…
