Barton grateful for another chance

The 26-year-old, who is hoping to return to senior action in Saturday's derby clash with Sunderland, is trying to rebuild his career after emerging from the self-inflicted misery of the last 18 months.

Barton knows he is fortunate to have been given another chance, and said: "Yes, they have an argument. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but thankfully for me the club chose not to do that for whatever reasons are out there."

He added: "It never happened and today all I know is that I am an employee of Newcastle United and as soon as I get back on the football pitch, I will endeavour to give it my all.

"When I was at Man City I always gave everything I had and the same applies to Newcastle. What I lack in ability and all other things I try to make up for in hard work. That's all I can do."

In a frank interview, during which he admitted he has only himself to blame for his troubles, Barton revealed he has not had a drink in the 10 months since the incident on Merseyside.

He hopes his experiences will help youngsters who are in danger of getting into the same kind of trouble, but while work in the community will continue to play a part in his life, his main focus, he hopes, will once again be football.

"All I wanted to do all my life was play football, and that's all I know. I live and breathe the game," Barton added. "If I don't play well on a Saturday, I go home and sit down and watch the game in a sulk and try to put things right on a Monday morning.

"When I have got into trouble before on training grounds, if anything, I expected too much of others. That's something I have to deal with.

"It's not a case of all of a sudden you go to jail and you see the light and you come out. It's a work in progress. The main thing for me is staying sober."