Joey Barton has once again hit the headlines after the midfielder was informed by Newcastle on Monday that he is to be placed on the transfer list and would be available for nothing.
The former Manchester City man looked to have turned his playing career and personal life around after completing a 74-day prison stint for assault in 2008, with the outspoken all-action midfielder playing a pivotal role in guiding Newcastle back to the Premier League at the first time of asking in 2010 and repeatedly expressing his happiness in the north east.
The Scouser set up a Twitter account earlier this year and has revealed a philosophical personality at odds with his often over-the-top aggressive streak on the pitch, using the social network to highlight his interest in alternative music and high-brow literature.
But in recent weeks Barton, who excelled for Newcastle last season, has taken pops at the club that stood by him during his imprisonment, which may well have forced the board that he so publicly has questioned to make him available for nothing.
When skipper Kevin Nolan was transferred to West Ham, Barton tweeted: "Just on my way to Ascot, feel sick. Great player, leader, captain, person, trainer and mostly a friend for life. Devastated to see him SOLD." He added the ominous hashtag #mejoseandjonasnext to his outburst.
Barton, whose contract expires at the end of next season, has frequently aired his frustration at not being offered a new deal and has tweeted: "If I wanted to leave, I'd just come out and say, 'I want to leave'. Things need addressing as I am not prepared to go through a relegation again."
He added: "If only we as players could tell the fans exactly how it is, without them above fining us lots of money. There will be a time and a place."
Barton has also come under fire for his remarks about England international players throughout the years. After the 2006 World Cup, he mocked Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard for releasing autobiographies in the wake of the Three Lions' disappointing campaign, but he did go on to make his debut for his country a year later.
The forthright player has continued to attract critics with his comments about the national set-up, bemoaning the tactical rigidity that he believes has held England back. He said in an interview this year: "We English will play the next 50 World Cups and we'll never win one. The people in charge at the FA played football maybe 50 or 60 years ago and still think that we can win a World Cup in the same way we did in 1966.
"We're too focused on tradition in England, like always having to play 4-4-2. Sometimes you need to experiment, drop a bit deeper so you have more space to move into.
"France, Italy and Germany have done it. We've been doing the same thing for 20 years."
He also declared, in an interview that resulted in him being pilloried by pundits, that he was England's best midfielder, saying: "Honestly, I think I'm the best. Luka Modric and Samir Nasri are very good, but in terms of English players… well, Jack Wilshere isn't bad, but Frank Lampard's on the way down and Steven Gerrard's been injured a lot."
In the same conversation, he tore into England regular Gareth Barry, accusing the Manchester City midfielder of being nothing more than a teacher's pet with a very good agent, adding: "I certainly don't lose sleep when I play against him."
The controversial character has similarly struggled to stay on the straight and narrow on the pitch since his incarceration and emergence as a leader at Newcastle.
After an injury-enforced absence, he returned with a bone-crunching foul on Xabi Alonso in 2009 that earned him a straight red card, while an unprovoked punch on Blackburn's Morten Gamst Pedersen last season drew widespread scorn and raised question marks over the sincerity with which Barton has pleaded that he has matured from being the thug that attacked Ousmane Dabo – his own team-mate at Manchester City – and went on to beat up a man in a drunken Merseyside brawl just four years ago.
On Monday, Barton attempted to stir up further interest by revealing he would be making a significant announcement about his future via Twitter, only to be pipped to the post by Newcastle, who stated – without the fanfare that the man himself might have craved – that he was free to leave the club for nothing.
At 28, his next move will likely be the biggest of his career, and while there may be no shortage of managers and supporters hoping that their club can strike a deal for Barton the player, there will be just as many wary of the circus that could roll into town if Barton the man brings all his baggage with him.
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