Barton: Manchester City's treatment of Hart is 'disgusting'
Joey Barton may have handed Manchester City the 2011-12 Premier League title with a red card on the final matchday of the season, but that doesn't mean the bad boy will side with the Citizens on any matter.
In conversation with talkSPORT, Barton, a graduate of City's academy who spent five years with the Citizens' first team, expressed his disgust at the club's treatment of Joe Hart. The English 'keeper was benched for his team's 2016-17 Premier League opener at home to Sunderland and away to Steaua Bucuresti, as Pep Guardiola opted to start Willy Caballero instead.
Hart, who joined City from Shrewsbury Town in 2006, is reportedly set to leave the Etihad Stadium this summer.
"It is not the club I left," Barton said, according to the Press Association. "The club I left and watch now are two totally different organisations. The club I played for wouldn't have treated a player that had been a servant for as long as Joe has in the manner that it has. I think it is disgusting.
"He is a full international, somebody who, probably before City took the money, could have gone on to bigger and better things himself but stayed and wanted to be at City. I don't see what he has done wrong to be treated the way he has. His attitude isn't terrible. I don't like this. It is common human decency, regardless of how good a coach you are. Why treat him like that?"
Barton added: "I've watched Caballero and are you telling me Caballero is better with his feet than Joe Hart? I haven't seen it. Why not let him fight for his place and then if he is not good enough say: 'I have given him an opportunity.' That's what every manager should do, give everyone an opportunity."
Over four years ago, on the final matchday of the 2011-12 Premier League season, Barton, who was then at Queens Park Rangers, gave City a one-man advantage when he elbowed Carlos Tevez off the ball. The incident forced a gap in play of three minutes and 49 seconds, and Sergio Aguero scored in second-half stoppage time to lift his club to the title at the death.