Burnley midfielder Joey Barton: I did everything I possibly could at Rangers

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Joey Barton left Rangers after just four months

Barton was the marquee summer signing at Ibrox after joining on a free transfer from Burnley.

He spoke publicly about dominating the division and said he was a league above Celtic captain Scott Brown.

But Barton was ushered out after just four months having struggled – his last game was the 5-1 defeat to Celtic, a match in which Brown bossed the midfield.

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Joey Barton left Rangers after just four months

Barton fell out with Mark Warburton over a training ground dispute with team-mate Andy Halliday and eventually had his contract terminated.

However Barton has hinted there was more at play but has refused to go into detail over his exit.

“I was trying to win at Rangers,” he told talkSPORT.

“I went in there with the ability, the knowledge and the expertise to win. I did everything I could possibly have done to achieve those goals but it just didn’t work out, and it wasn’t through any lack of desire or determination on my part.

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Joey Barton's last game for Rangers was the defeat to Celtic

“I’ve got an enormous amount of respect for Rangers as a football club – for the fans, tradition and everything it stands for.

“I’m not going to come on the radio and have a go and air my dirty laundry in public about Rangers, it’s just something I’m not going to do. I’m focused on Burnley.”

Barton returned to former club Burnley and has already had a bigger impact despite the threat of suspension from a misconduct charge in relation to betting offences.

“I’m incredibly thankful to Burnley,” he said.

“It would have been easy for them to turn their back on me bearing in mind that I left them [to sign for Rangers].

“But the first time I stepped back on the pitch the fans were magnificent and it was like I’d never been away.

“I just feel so humbled by all of that and all I want to do is give everything I can to the football club.”

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