JOEY Barton has to get himself right ‘mentally and physically’ before discussions about resurrecting his Burnley career can take place, says boss Sean Dyche.

The midfielder is back training at Gawthorpe as he bids to get himself fit after his Rangers nightmare came to an end.

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The 34-year-old can’t sign for another club until January as a result of his Ibrox contract being terminated, but he could play for the Clarets’ development squad to try and build-up match fitness.

Last season’s supporters’ player of the year turned down a contract extension at Turf Moor to move to Rangers, but his Rangers career lasted just eight games.

Dyche revealed that Barton contacted him to discuss training with Burnley, but said talks over a playing return will wait for now.

“We’ll have a chat in the future but not at the moment. He knows the requirement for himself is important first, anything else is beyond that,” said the Clarets chief.

“He knows he’s got to get himself right both mentally and physically.

“Whatever people’s’ opinions are of who did what up there, the fact is you clear your mind, get your body right and who knows after that.”

Barton moved to the Light Blues to embrace a new challenge north of the border but his Ibrox move turned into a nightmare following a row after a 5-1 Old Firm hammering at the hands of Celtic.

But Dyche said he hadn’t gone into any detail with the former Manchester City and Newcastle midfielder over events at Rangers.

“There’s been no real depth to my conversations with him, other than very quickly, ‘could do with getting some training done, some fitness work’. ‘Absolutely, no problem, get yourself in, I’ll have a chat with you when I see you’,” he said.

“That’s it really. It’s not for me to start reflecting on his time at Rangers, he needed somewhere, he knows what we’re about and he’ll be looked after, like many other players I’ve worked with and supported whether they’re here or not.

“We care about our players and that doesn’t always mean the ones who’ve done well for us, those who haven’t we’ve still helped.”

Asked if Barton may feel he had something to prove after the way his time at Scotland came to an end, the Burnley boss added: “I don’t really see why he’d have anything to prove.”

Barton has been back at Gawthorpe for a week and Dyche said the former Manchester City midfielder was enjoying being back at the club, although he isn’t training with the first-team squad at the moment.

“He’s been training with us for a number of days now,” he said. “Not with the first team, he’s doing background fitness work with the sports science team. That’s an ongoing thing until things change in the future.

“He’s just enjoying being back in and getting himself fit. He was generally fit of course but he’s just topping up.

“He’d had an indifferent time with being away from the club and different things going on in Scotland - it’s about getting him fit and sharp. That’s good for him, who knows about us, we’ll take that on when I see fit.”