Rangers allow bad-boy Barton back for training

Glasgow (AFP) – Controversial midfielder Joey Barton can return to training with Rangers after a nearly two-month exile following a bust-up, the Scottish team said on Wednesday, but his short time with the club looks over.

The 34-year-old Englishman, who has a woeful disciplinary record, was banished from Rangers after a training ground dispute in mid-September with manager Mark Warburton.

He will be allowed back to train but seems unlikely to get another game with the Scottish giants and probably will be allowed to leave during the January transfer window.

“Joey Barton has been told he will return to full-time training following the conclusion of a disciplinary procedure,” the club said in a statement.

“The management team will inform the player of appropriate training arrangements to which he must adhere for as long as he remains a Rangers player.

“Neither the club nor the player will comment further.”

Barton, capped once by England, is also in the sights of the Scottish Football Association (SFA), who accuse him of placing 44 bets between July 1 and September 15.

Betting on football matches by players is strictly forbidden by the SFA and Barton could face a ban if it is proven he placed the bets.

Barton signed a two-year contract with Rangers in May following their promotion to the Scottish Premiership.

In newspaper interviews conducted in September, largely to promote his book, he expressed regret over moving to Scotland.

“Reflecting on it, would I have made the same decision? Probably not,” he told the Guardian.

Barton previously played for Manchester City, Newcastle United, Queens Park Rangers and Marseille, and for Burnley before the ill-fated move to Rangers.