Rangers midfielder Joey Barton has broken his silence to reveal his status with the Ibrox club after a training ground bust up left his future in doubt.
The 34-year-old, who joined the Gers from Burnley in the summer, is understood to have been involved in a training ground bust-up with teammates and coaching staff.
Speaking this morning on TalkSport radio, Barton said: “There is a lot of change at the club with 11 new players coming in.
“A lot of personalities and at a great football institution like Rangers we are expected to challenge for the title straightaway.
“Nobody is shying away from the workload, we are just trying to get it better.
“Things like this should stay in the training ground. I know it is highly hypocritical of me to say that on the radio.
“It is something that happens on training grounds all over the country all the time.
“People think that footballers don’t care but that is certainly not aimed at me or any players at Rangers.
“We do care about trying to make the club better. It is disappointing it has got to this.”
He added: “I have had altercations with teammates before and this is nothing at all on that scale.
“It is unfair for people to use that against me, hence why I have had to defend my position.
“I have worked far too hard to allow people to brandish me with that as it is completely unfair.”
Fans have been speculating over Barton’s future since the training ground argument but the midfielder says he wants to sit down with manager Mark Warburton and re-evaluate his future.
“I will sit down with Warbs on Monday,” he said.
“I want the lads to win on Saturday – that is the most important thing. I will be supporting the team on Saturday, that is all that matters.
“I have got to re-evaluate stuff now that that has happened. It has obviously changed the landscape slightly.
“It is disappointing but I am as committed to Glasgow Rangers as I was on the day I signed.
“All I want is for Rangers to win and for us to be the best we can possibly be.
“I am not admonishing my own responsibility in terms of my own performances. That needs to improve.
“I’m not trying to scapegoat or blame anyone else. We are all in this together as a football club. We win and lose together.
“It should hurt you as a professional footballer if you don’t win football matches.
“Hopefully we can draw a line under this and get back to winning matches which is the most important thing.”
