Sunday 11 January 2015 12:04, UK
His prominence on social media may mean that he has never really been away from the limelight, but Joey Barton, one of English football’s most controversial and outspoken players, returned to the bright lights of the Premier League for the first time in two years this season after unexpectedly re-establishing himself at QPR.
Barton, who recently joined an EA SPORTS FIFA 15 panel to debate their Team of the Year, sat down with skysports.com ahead of QPR’s key game at relegation rivals Burnley to tackle some of the matters of the moment.
Joey Barton on…
….QPR’s season so far
I realised when I was in France with Marseille how much the Premier League means.
“The home form in the Premier League has been competitive, but the away form I don’t think has and we’ve got a lot to improve. But obviously the fixtures twist round now and some of the places we’ve gone to, no disrespect to anyone as every game in the Premier League is tough, but they are some of the grounds that are considered a lot more difficult to visit.
“So we’ve had the opportunity to size everybody up and play everybody at least once and know how tough it’s going to be from now until May. Hopefully we can improve on the road and solidify our home.”
…his relationship with QPR’s fans
“Look, since the moment I’ve walked into the football club I’ve just tried to do the best I can possibly do and give the best that I could in every possible game. Sometimes that worked out and sometimes it never worked out, but it wasn’t for the want of trying or for any other reasons - sometimes it just never played out. There are a number of instances in there which probably didn’t adhere myself to the fans, but equally since I came back there’s a lot of stuff in there which [did].
“I think if I’d have left when I went out to Marseille I wouldn’t have looked back on my stint at QPR with any favour at all. It was a tough period and a tough period for me personally. But obviously now whenever I do think about QPR and what’s actually happened at QPR it’s massively balanced by the fact we’ve got some great memories.”
…missing the Premier League
“I want to play in the Premier League, I’ve missed it. Being in France for a year was a great experience and being in the Championship was an experience I think I’m famously quoted as saying I didn’t really want to experience and had no intention of experiencing. I did it with Newcastle and it was a lot different because we won the league relatively easily, and then I did it the tough way [with QPR].
“So I’ve now got a different experience which will hold me in good stead for the future.”
….Steven Gerrard’s move to the MLS
“It’s a strange one because even though it’s abroad, they still speak English, it’s very much a similar culture, so he won’t have any issues with language. I’ve seen Stevie’s said he’s going out and he will still have that competitive element, and it never leaves you as a player. He still thinks he’s got ambitions and goals he wants to achieve and fair play to him. It would be easy probably to walk away from it and maybe go into coaching and managing route, which I think he will ultimately go to one day, but he’s still got ambitions.
“For me personally, it’s [an MLS move] probably a conversation for a bit further down the line. I’ve played most games this season and so I still think I’ve got unfinished business here. I realised when I was in France with Marseille how much this league means to you.”
…Rio Ferdinand at QPR
"I was winding Rio up the other day and asking if he could have gone out to the MLS. But he said he still had ambitions, his family’s London based and he’s lived away from London for a long time. So, it was testament to his ambition how he never took that route."
…on New Year’s resolutions
“I’m not really that way inclined. I don’t get why the New Year turns and then you go ‘ah, I can do it now because it’s a New Year’. If you want to do something it doesn’t matter when you start, just get on with it and do it!”
EA SPORTS has teamed up Rio Ferdinand, Kyle Walker, Joey Barton and the strongest player in FIFA 15, Adebayo Akinfenwa, to have their say on who should make this year’s Team of the Year for FIFA 15 Ultimate Team. Watch them debate their World XI at youtube.com/easportsfifa
