JOEY Barton has revealed he wouldn’t have left Burnley this summer had he known how his time with Scottish giants Rangers would play out.

The 34-year-old turned down the chance to stay at Turf Moor this summer, having being named supporters’ player of the year last season, and instead opted for a new challenge north of the border at Ibrox.

But he has struggled to make his mark with Rangers and was involved in a training ground bust-up with Andy Halliday last week after the 5-1 Old Firm defeat to Celtic.

Barton was ordered to stay away from the club for six days, but after giving an unauthorised radio interview he has now been suspended for three weeks by Rangers.

On his decision to leave the Clarets this summer, Barton said in an interview with the Guardian: “I felt it had run its course. I needed another challenge, another experience, even though there have been days since then when I’ve thought: ‘Why? Why did I do that?’ But I’ve got to believe in Rangers even if it’s been much harder than I expected.”

“Knowing what I know now? Reflecting on it, would I have made the same decision? Probably not. I’ve even been honest with people about that. There is an honesty that I am operating which means some people think I’m critiquing them. But I know that in time it will turn out to be the right decision.

“I loved Burnley but I wanted to challenge myself.”