TOP 100 SOCCER SITES
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| Barton: 'Most footballers are knobs' • Midfielder says Sporting Chance made him 'a man'• Criticises lifestyles of top-flight professionalsJoey Barton has been blamed for many things but the Newcastle United midfielder cannot be accused of a lack of candour."Most footballers are knobs," said Barton today in a radio interview which is unlikely to prove popular with his fellow professionals. "I meet a lot of them and they are so detached from real life it's untrue. But there was a stage when I was like that."The 27-year-old, who says he is a changed man since giving up drinking two years ago, expressed dismay at footballers' isolation from the wider world and the rampant materialism of many of his peers."Driving around in flash cars and changing them like you change your socks, wearing stupid diamond watches and spending money like it's going out of fashion in the middle of a recession when some people are struggling to put food on the table for the kids – it's not the way to do it," he said.Interviewed on an edition of BBC Radio 4's Today programme which was guest-edited by his mentor, Tony Adams, Barton said that he was only jolted out of the game's "Peter Pan" world – in which agents organise players' lives, taking care of such mundane basics as bank accounts, bills, mortgages and car insurance – by his addiction to alcohol and inability to control his anger.A series of unsavoury incidents led him to the Sporting Chance Clinic, which was founded by Adams, the former Arsenal captain. Barton, who served time in prison for his part in an assault in Liverpool city centre two years ago, said the clinic "gave me the tools to understand myself, basically. It helped me grow into a man".The gulf between Barton's upbringing in Huyton, Merseyside and life as a young player at Manchester City was obvious."I was earning £20,000 a week and yet I didn't even know how to behave, I was just a child," he said. "You grow up in an environment where, as long as you're a good player, you're told that you're the best all the time. But whether you're the best footballer in the world or the best golfer or the best cricketer, you're a human being. You might be good at that [sport] but you might be crap at life."Barton's misdemeanours included stubbing a lit cigarette into the eye of a City team-mate; slapping a fan; assaulting a former City colleague, Ousmane Dabo; and the aforementioned attack on a 16-year-old outside a branch of McDonald's in Liverpool."My last night out probably cost me £500,000 plus my reputation," he said. "I must have been as close as you can get to self-destruct. I had two choices, basically. Either you carry on what you're doing and your career's gone, or you address it."Barton, who is close to full recovery from a serious foot injury, says the British media helped to change his character."I am very thankful to the media of this country," he said, suggesting that regular vilification in print and broadcast media forced him to confront several issues.He also said: "There's stuff I got away with. But I'm very fortunate, because of my profile and the job I do and the fact that I'm in the public eye, it got addressed. And it's only the fact that I'm grounded by the trouble I've been in that's forced me away from being in the football world."After counselling and introspection, Barton has decided that he is, essentially, "a simple bloke"."I don't want to be famous," he said. "It was never for me about the cars, the women, the money – whatever people perceive to come with it. I love football, I want to play football."Joey BartonNewcastle UnitedChampionshipRadio 4Louise Taylorguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Levein offers way back for Scotland's exiled trio • Levein to meet Boyd, Ferguson and McGregor• 'My intention is to get round and see all the players'Craig Levein plans to meet Kris Boyd, Barry Ferguson and Allan McGregor about resuming their international careers before Scotland learn their European Championship qualifying opponents next month.Boyd and McGregor have both expressed a desire to end their international exiles under Levein, while Ferguson has also hinted at a willingness to return to the fold.Levein, who was appointed Scotland manager two days before Christmas, said: "I haven't spoken to them as yet. I've spoken to their managers and my intention is to get round and meet all the players."I will be speaking to everybody over the next six weeks or so, hopefully before the draw for the Euros in February."Boyd, now 26 and who on Wednesday surpassed Henrik Larsson as the Scottish Premier League's all-time top goalscorer, refused to play under Levein's predecessor, George Burley. Ferguson and McGregor were given lifetime bans by the Scottish Football Association after being photographed flicking V-signs at photographers during last April's World Cup qualifier with Iceland. That came days after they were dropped for indulging in an early-hours drinking session at the team's hotel.The pair's punishments have since been revoked and Levein said: "Whether they've been treated badly or they haven't, I'm not really concerned about that. I'm just concerned about having the best players available for every game."Boyd believes his decision to quit international football over a lack of opportunity under Burley in October 2008 has allowed him to improve his all-round game. "The Scotland thing was the turning point," he said. "I knew I was going nowhere sitting on a bench for 10 days not doing much."It was heartbreaking and not what I wanted. I knew, as it stood, I wasn't going to be playing at Rangers and definitely wasn't playing with Scotland so something had to give. I had to go back to basics and prove to myself I could play at Rangers."It was a brave decision. I have taken a lot of stick but feel it has been the best decision I've made. Now is the time to kick on and get back to international level and I feel I can return to that stage a far better player."Scotland's failure to reach this summer's World Cup under Burley has raised questions over whether the squad is good enough to put that right in Euro 2012 qualifying.Levein, who reiterated his desire to get involved in youth development at the SFA, said: "You don't have to have the best talent to win football matches. It's more important to have a good team work ethic; if everyone can gel and work together then everything is possible."It's a good time to be taking over because expectations are pretty low for the national side. You're better taking over at a time like that because there's so much room for improvement."ScotlandCraig Leveinguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Milson released by United Injury-plagued Brazilian striker Milson has been released by Gold Coast United. foxsports.com.au |
Cameroon still alive at African Cup Four-time champion Cameroon revived its hopes of reaching the African Cup of Nations quarter-finals by beating Zambia 3-2 on Sunday while Gabon played out a scoreless tie with Tunisia. cbc.ca |
Cardiff City 4 Leicester City 2: match report Two injury time goals from substitute Chris Burke and Ross McCormack earned Cardiff City a place in the fifth round. telegraph.co.uk |