Barton is putting Rangers exit behind him

Joey Barton insists the real reasons for the explosive end to his Rangers career will remain private.

The controversial midfielder lasted just eight games in Glasgow before he was frozen out following a row with boss Mark Warburton and team-mate Andy Halliday.

The 34-year-old has since re-signed for Burnley after Gers took the decision to cancel his contract.

But the former Manchester City, Newcastle and QPR player says he has too much respect for his former employers to divulge what really happened in the build-up to his exit.

He said: “I’ve got an enormous amount of respect for Rangers as a football club, the fans, the tradition - everything that it stands for.

“I ain’t going to have a go and air my dirty laundry in public about Rangers.

“It’s just not something I aspire to do. It’s not something I’m going to do today, in two months, in 10 months or in two years.

“I’mfocusedonBurnley. I’ve got N’Golo Kante and Chelsea on Sunday afternoon. I’ve got to use every bit of energy I’ve got trying to turn in a performance against arguably the best player in the league.

“I can’t focus on what’s going on in Scotland that’s not my bag any more. What’s happened’s happened.”

Barton made his move north with the intention of helping Rangers wrestle the Ladbrokes Premiership title from Celtic.

But it quickly turned sour after his trainingground bust-up two days after Gers’ humiliating 5-1 thrashing by their Old Firm rivals in September.

Since then the Hoops have romped 27 points clear, with Warburton’s team now down to third after Saturday’s draw with Ross County.

Barton, though, is refusing to take the blame.

Asked if he had any regrets about his Ibrox switch, he said: “I don’t, really. I’m not really one for living in the past. This life is short.

“We would all do things differently, but the only person we know who had the ability to travel back in time and change things was a fiction of Hollywood.”