Joey Barton now ‘lives like a monk’.
Posted on April 28th, 2010 | 48 Comments |
It’s a fact that Joey has been less than wholesome in his past, and we all know why so there is no need for me to bring it back up again. But can his bad boy days remain in the past, or are they likely to surface again at some point in the future? If the ugly side of Joey Barton is to stay hidden, then he must learn to keep calm and must realise that because of his actions of the past he now becomes an easy target for everyone. Only he can change that, by rising above any provocation, something that he has appeared to be doing this season.
Of course, Joey has been unlucky with injuries this season, but now he is back and looks to be returning to match fitness we are beginning to see some glimpses of why we bought him, with the through ball at Plymouth for Wayne Routledge being a prime example. Moments like that could be key in the Premier League next season, the ability to unlock a defense with a pass like that is something a fit Joey Barton can give us, so we have to hope that he stays injury-free whilst enjoying himself over the summer.
“Yeah, you could say I’ll enjoy this summer a bit better than the last two! Twelve months ago, we were relegated and I didn’t know what the future held for me, and two years ago I knew I was facing prison,” Barton said today.
“That was scary and even now I wonder how I got through it. The flip side is that it was my own fault and I got what I deserved. I took the punishment on the chin and have tried to become a better man since. For some people that will never be enough, but today I am satisfied with who I am and the journey I’ve had to take.”
Which is fair enough, but there is more. It appears Joey wants to become a role model for other people who need to reform their lives, and believes he has the blueprint of just how to go about reforming your character;
“A lot of kids won’t look at the Beckhams and the Owens as role models. Maybe they’ll look at Joey Barton and think, ‘He made lots of mistakes, he went to jail and he came back’. That’s what drives me on – to be a shining light to people who messed up.”
“I don’t have responsibility for my actions when I drink and I can’t afford to make the same mistakes again. Staying off alcohol keeps me out of places where you are likely to find trouble.”
“I live a monk-like existence flitting between the training ground and the golf course and have a bit of interest in horse racing.”
As I said earlier, it’s a strange one with regards to Barton. He is in the last chance saloon in the eyes of many and will always attract publicity due to his past. But when he is fit, firing on all cylinders and keeping his nose clean then he can be such an asset to Newcastle United. There are also people who are finished with him and feel he is being given a chance when perhaps he doesn’t deserve one, which if course is their opinion.
What do you guys think?
NUFCBlog Author: toonsy
toonsy has written 643 articles on this blog.
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