Rate it!

0 votes

In a day when footballers are supposed to be role models for so many youngsters it is important that they know how to behave, especially when they are under such intense scrutiny.

Unfortunately, Joey Barton seems incapable of doing this.

The Newcastle midfielder has returned to action after a period of incarceration and then rehabilitation but, for me, he should not have been allowed to come back until the mess that is currently engulfing his career has been cleared up.

Obviously, nothing has been proved yet so I need to be careful about what I say, but in my opinion, there is no smoke without fire and he just seems to attract bad publicity.

Whatever his alleged involvement in this latest incident, what is already clear is that Joey Barton was out and about on the street at five o'clock in the morning. And that is irresponsible for a professional footballer.

Only a few are lucky enough to get paid to do what they love but with that comes responsibility. Forget about going out and looking for trouble - not even Joey is silly enough to do that - but footballers cannot allow themselves to get into situations that might compromise them.

Standing outside a fast food joint in Liverpool city centre in the early hours of the morning does just that.

People see a footballer away from the pitch and they want to test them, not least because of their wealth and their status. And after a night out, that is liable to turn ugly.

But the key is not react, to rise above it, smile and walk away.

Barton is 25-years-old. He earns more money than the average man in the street can only dream of. I know it's difficult to forfeit going out with your mates when you're that age, but the ultimate rewards far outweigh the initial sacrifice.

I just wonder if Joey sees that. The fact that he is yet to publicly thank his club for sticking by him says a great deal. I feel that is the least he owes his club. In any other walk of life, he would not be back in his job this early, if ever, but he is yet to come out and show his gratitude to Newcastle for sticking by him, organising a stint in a luxury rehab centre and getting him back in the team so soon.

This is not the first time he has let a manager down. He's also disappointed Stuart Pearce and I still believe his signing contributed to the downfall of Sam Allardyce. The question remains: will he let down Kevin Keegan? Unless something drastic happens, the answer could well be yes.

It is a shame that these days when people talk about Joey, football is not the first thing they think of. And despite his numerous brushes with the law, fellow players and fans, and the two ongoing police enquiries, he still manages to find himself playing top flight football.

What sort of example does that set for youngsters starting out in the game? Not a very good one, I'm afraid.

Eurosport