Joey Barton has had one last swipe at West Ham after the transfer window closed claiming: “West Ham’s loss is Burnley’s gain!”
The 32-year-old has just joined the Clarets, freshly relegated from the Premier League after just one season in the top flight, but is clearly still angry at the Hammers deal that crumbled at the eleventh hour.
For a still rattled Barton believes at least 10 Premier League clubs – including the Hammers – are mad not to have signed him on a free transfer.
Speaking to The Daily Telegraph, Barton said: “From time to time, people think it’s Charles Manson or Fred West that is going to come into the building, but that’s the ridiculous legacy I have, which is baffling.
“Most people who have met me know I’m hard-working and I’m opinionated, but if you’re handled with respect, I’ve never had an issue with anybody.
“That gets lost with me from time to time because people start worrying about the baggage and how you’ll contribute to the group and how you’ll react if you’re not playing, which is lazy on their behalf. That’s how I see it.
“I think if you’re a Premier League club, anyone from 10th downwards, and you had the opportunity to take me on a free transfer it’s an absolute no-brainer.
“But they are lazy, they don’t do their homework so they tune into things you did in 2006, 2007, rather than look at what’s going on, what you’ve done in the last three years, how your family circumstances have changed.
“You go from being a single lad, who has had a lot of baggage and been in trouble, to starting a family, in the process of changing your life around and start progressing.”
On why he didn’t join West Ham, Barton added: “Depends who you listen to. It just never got over the line, It was the 11th hour. It was really late and really disappointing. I felt I could have played there, but West Ham’s loss will be Burnley’s gain.
“They’ve got their reasons for not doing it. It’s probably a better fit for me here. It’s not Premier League football, which I wanted, but the aim is to be there quickly.”
“If handled with respect…” There’s your problem right there…you earn respect, sunshine.
After yesterday where was he going to fit in and if we had signed him would we have taken on Song or Valatino ?
We dodged a bullit
Good luck Burnley dodge another Bullit yourself don’t sign Nolan but JOB would be great for you,
Well he’s right so why the issue. He hasn’t lied and we haven’t taken him. He will do a job but With the newer arrivals so will we .
Well i got to say i really dont see much of an issue with what he said.So what,he is opinionated,plenty in life like that.Think having read the whole article in the paper he aint said alot wrong.Guess he will forever be peoples No.1 pantomine villian.
Bloody hell he his hardly having ‘one last dig’,ffs i aint his biggest fan but he aint exactly ripping us to pieces,sheesh 😉
Funny . . . none of the “bottom ten” wanted him . . . none of the “top ten” either obviously . . . we did not need this hot head ego around the ground, and thankfully that turned out to be the case . . .
He probably has changed since his youth and, if so, good luck to him. Trouble is, even now, his communication is “all about me” when we want blokes who are “all about us”.
Good luck to him elsewhere but the fact he’s gobbing off in the media all the time and creating unwanted headlines all the time is the reason our club is better off without him.
Agree with you there Hammerman6. Seems like yet another bullet dodged.
His over inflated opinion of himself wouldn’t have worked. And if it was a “no brainer” for 10th and below clubs why did no one else rush for him?
Mr Barton does himself no favours.
It’s comments like this demonstrates why clubs are dubious to take him on.