Share

Desperate times for England?

Cape Town - Reports from the Metro and social media site Twitter, suggest that Queens Park Rangers midfielder Joey Barton has renounced his international retirement in order to help revive the current England team.

Are England really so desperate that they would require the services of Joey Barton? And how modest of Barton to think he would be required too...

Football's bad boy, who only has one England cap, has been very vocal on Twitter and in the media, often criticising England, so it seems unlikely that Roy Hodgson would consider bringing him into his relatively young squad during the season ahead.

This is what he had to say regarding the England situation:


His last top flight appearance in England was when he infamously got sent off at the Etihad Stadium for elbowing Carlos Tevez, kicking Sergio Aguero and headbutting Vincent Kompany on the day City sealed the Premier League title in May 2012 - so it seems very unlikely that the 31-year-old's antics would benefit the national team in any way.

While many would have thought he was joking, Barton went on to tweet:


Where England will go from here remains to be seen, but one thing's for sure: The future success of the country does not lie in the hands of Joey Barton...
We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Should Siya Kolisi keep the captaincy as the Springboks build towards their World Cup title defence in 2027?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
Yes! Siya will only be 36 at the next World Cup. He can make it!
25% - 1273 votes
No! I think the smart thing to do is start again with a younger skipper ...
29% - 1472 votes
I'd keep Siya captain for now, but look to have someone else for 2027.
45% - 2251 votes
Vote
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE