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Football

19th Mar 2018

Joey Barton questions Scott Brown’s mental health as rivalry is reignited

"Is he the full shilling?"

Darragh Murphy

Joey Barton has restarted his war of words with Scott Brown during a discussion on radio.

Immediately after signing for Rangers in 2016, Barton famously claimed that Brown “ain’t in my league” after supporters anticipated a fiery feud between the pair.

Fans didn’t hesitate to remind Barton of his comments when Celtic thrashed their Glasgow neighbours 5-1 in his first Old Firm derby.

Barton lasted only a few months at Ibrox before his ill-fated spell in Scotland came to an end but the English midfielder refuses to let bygones be bygones with Celtic’s captain.

Fresh from the Hoops’ 0-0 draw with Motherwell on Sunday, when the hosts’ Cedric Kipre saw red for an altercation with Brown, Barton has questioned the sanity of the former Scotland international.

“Has Scott Brown been cheating again?” Barton asked while on talkSPORT.

“Is he the full shilling? We saw him up at Aberdeen the other week and then wearing the shades against Rangers.

“It seems to me he is a little bit short. He doesn’t look the full ticket to me.”

Barton is currently serving a ban after admitting to a Football Association charge in relation to betting but his punditry career is flourishing.

A regular contributor on Alan Brazil Sports Breakfast, Barton recently started his own podcast which has proven a smash hit.

But he will not back down on his claim that he was superior to everyone in the Celtic ranks when he moved to the Scottish Premiership two years ago.

“I had had a better career than anyone playing for Celtic at the time,” Barton insisted.

“I had proven myself in the English Premier League but how many of their players had come down and done the same?

“I have a lot of respect for the history and traditions of Rangers and Celtic but the standard is pathetic up there.

“I left Scottish football because I couldn’t deal with the poor standards all around me and I came back to the Premier League and scored on my debut for Burnley.”