Joker Joey at the wind up
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OUTSPOKEN Rangers midfielder Joey Barton has indulged in a further cheeky jibe at Brendan Rodgers — by jokingly suggesting the Celtic manager is having a midlife crisis.
In June, Barton made a point of a highlighting a lack of trophies on Rodgers’ CV, inferring that the 43-year-old would have to break new ground to deliver the silverware expected in Glasgow. A Talksport appearance yesterday presented Barton with a fresh opportunity for another tongue-in-cheek swipe.
When asked if he had met Rodgers (right) since both men moved north of the border, Barton replied: ‘I’ve not managed to run into him yet.
‘I mean the places he goes and the places I go probably differ, y’know — with the tan and the teeth and all that kind of thing.
‘They are not the kind of establishments I rock up at. I’m not having a midlife crisis.
‘I might run into him. He goes up to Loch Lomond and I’ve been playing golf up there.’
While Barton insists many of his headline-grabbing comments are light-hearted, he is serious in his appreciation of the Old Firm rivalry.
The 33-year-old former Burnley player is eagerly anticipating his first taste of derby action when Rangers head to the home of their greatest rivals on September 10.
‘I’m looking forward to the atmosphere,’ said Barton. ‘I spoke to the gaffer when I came up here and one of the things about it was the experience of playing in an Old Firm game. It’s a once-in-a-career opportunity.
‘You what I’m like. I like the tongue-in-cheek stuff and having a little bit of a joke. But when it comes down to the game, it is two massive footballing institutions. I can’t wait for it.
‘I respect the history and tradition that has gone before and the competitive element of it.
‘It seems Scottish football was in a little bit of a lull, to say the least, before this season. It seems everyone is excited. There is a little bit of a buzz back round the city.
‘When Rangers or Celtic are in town, I think it is the lifeblood of a lot of other teams, who don’t have the financial strength of the Old Firm.
‘Hopefully, this is the start of Scottish football getting itself back on the map, not only in the British Isles but in European competition, as well.
‘The Old Firm is a great rivalry. As you can imagine, in the city, you see both sides of it. We have got business to take care of first and so do they. They have a big Champions League tie on their agenda right now.
‘I think it’s great. I think everyone up here is happy that the Old Firm is back on the table.’
Barton has started both of Rangers’ Premiership matches so far, with last weekend’s 2-1 win over Dundee following an opening day draw against Hamilton. And he has praised the combative nature of opponents in Scotland’s top-flight. ‘It’s not the same as the (English) Premier League,’ added Barton, who has also played for Manchester City, Newcastle, QPR and Marseille. ‘Everybody tells you when you come up here that playing the Old Firm is everyone’s cup final. You either get Rangers or Celtic fans playing for the other team and they want to show you they should be playing for the Old Firm. ‘The lads are absolutely committed. We played Hamilton on the opening day at Ibrox and everyone thought we only had to turn up to win the game. ‘But they competed fantastically well. They were organised and had a couple of experienced campaigners in Massimo Donati, stuff like that. ‘We went to Dundee at the weekend and felt we should have been gone by half-time. The football played at times was exceptional.
‘But credit to them, they hung in there. I lost my marker from a corner and they scored just before half-time. And they kept coming and coming against us in the second half, fighting tooth and nail for it.
‘You have to scrap and battle for every three points. Okay, it doesn’t have the technical quality of the English Premier League. But what they lack in technical quality they make up for in abundance with fighting spirit.’