I’M PEPPED UP

JOEY BARTON has compared himself to Pep Guardiola.

He believes those who were holding midfielders in their playing days – such as himself and Manchester City boss Guardiola – make the best managers.

Barton said: “If you look at it, slow plodding midfielders tend to become good managers. Look at many great managers and they tend to be of a certain type.

‘Pep Guardiola is the best coach but was a midfielder who had no pace and no skills. Zinedine Zidane may buck the trend but he was a midfielder.

“I’m taking great refuge in the fact midfielders tend to make really good coaches.i had no skills, wasn’t really big, wasn’t really quick and wasn’t really strong. If you think about it we are in the middle of the park, communicating at all times with the defence and are the hub of a team.

“That’s why midfielders are able to transfer those skills from playing to coaching. To be a midfielder like me to survive as long as I did you have to be able to scheme and think about things.”

Barton has also welcomed the decisions by former midfielders turned TV pundits Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard to go into management at Rangers and Derby respectively.

He added: “They must believe in their talent to step out of the comfort of the punditry chair. They will face pressure but I think they will both be excellent.”

MINE! Barton giving his all during his time at Burnley last year