There is no substitute for Barton as his low blow
THE latest twist in Joey Barton’s rollercoaster career took Burnley into the top half of the Premier League just five minutes into his emotional return to Turf Moor.
Barton had barely touched the ball after replacing Dean Marney when he struck a low free-kick after 78 minutes that brushed past team-mate Jeff Hendrick on the edge of the wall and nestled in the corner of the net.
The outpouring of emotion was immediate and spontaneous, with team-mates mobbing Barton who punched the air with joy after a dreadful few months in which he has seen his Rangers contract terminated and been hit by Football Association betting charges.
Burnley manager Sean Dyche, who allowed Barton back into the club even though he walked away from them in the summer, said afterwards: ‘You can’t make it up. I just said to him “I couldn’t write your story”. Sublime finish, of course, he’ll be telling everyone that anyway!
‘For someone who gets all kinds of stick, he brushes it off and gets on with it and focuses on his football. I felt it was appropriate for him to come back to us. I’ve had no question marks about him before and I didn’t see why I would again. So far, he’s slotted in nicely again.’
Barton, 34, helped Burnley to promotion last season but hadn’t played in the Premier League for 20 months.
But having re-signed for Burnley as a free agent, he impressed enough in the FA Cup at Sunderland last weekend to merit a place on the bench yesterday.
‘He was confused by being sub. He said “do I take my boots out with me, wear a warm-up top or what?” I said “Oi, you get on with it”,’ joked Dyche. ‘There was another word in there but you can imagine the