I think I may have made a mistake. For a long time I considered Joey Barton to be nothing but a mindless hoodlum who wasn’t a bad professional footballer. But I think I was wrong. Last night, for the first time, I heard him discuss his failings, his perceived failings and his many problems on and off the pitch.

Let me start by saying that I realise that Mr. Barton has been guilty of some serious offences both on, and more so off the field of play and that I am in no way attempting to justify his actions. During the interview I watched I was astonished by his honesty, and without meaning to be patronising, how intelligent he came across as.

It left me wondering if I had been fooled by press reports about the many sensational incidents that have peppered an otherwise accomplished Premier League career. Yes, he has made a great many mistakes and I, for one, have been alarmed by more than one of his lunging spite-filled challenges whilst in a Manchester City or Newcastle shirt. He admits that the many incidents he has been involved in - the cigar scandal, the taxi driver, the young Everton fan etc - were down to him, and that he is responsible for the way he reacts in situations that (depending on which paper you read) he is either guilty of initiating or simply reacting.

'I was astonished by his honesty, and without meaning to be patronising, how intelligent he came across as'


Barton, 25, faces a very real possibility of going to jail for his reported assault on French teammate Ousmane Dabo at Manchester City. Whether this event has led him to deliberately appear a ‘changed’ man, or whether he really has altered the way he carries himself and behaves, is difficult to know. Many will argue, quite rightly, that his excuses and explanations will never excuse his actions, but in many ways the England international is now very much in the ‘damned if you do - damned if you don’t’ spiral and the next few months are going to be  definitive in the life of the Scouser.

He seemed keen to quash a great many stereotypical remarks surrounding how football can ‘save’ lives of the less fortunate under-classes. Asked if he felt that becoming a professional footballer had ‘saved’ him from the fate of his numerous troubled and imprisoned relatives, he pointed out that he hadn’t been ‘saved’ as the interviewer had suggested. He pointed out that even if he hadn't been a footballer it wasn’t inevitable he would have become a criminal. He didn't believe that youngsters from a similar background would necessarily turn to crime if they didn't become footballers.

The fact is, Barton does tend to put his foot in it. Recent comments about Newcastle fans were unwise and unnecessary. There is no doubting his talent and I guess that makes things doubly infuriating as this talent is constantly overshadowed by events that, on the whole, are totally down to Barton himself.

At least he acknowledges his shortcomings, and that, at least,  is progress of sorts. He has attempted to explain his behaviour in the past without a great deal of success, but now he seems to have matured and understands that the reputation he has created is totally down to his own actions and has ultimately led him to where he is today.

This is a crucial time in the young man’s life. He is at the crossroads; one  could still lead him to become a favourite son at St James' Park, and the other could see him drift out of the game for good. Joey Barton is the only person who can make the decision, and I sincerely hope that he is now mature enough to appreciate this undeniable fact.