Barton: I've Learned From My Mistakes

In the eyes of most football fans, Barton's list of criminal offences far outweighs whatever he has accomplished as a professional sportsman.

The one-time England man has brauled with a teenage Evertonian and stubbed a cigar in a youth player's eye, and he was jailed earlier this year after being found guilty of engaging in assault and affray outside a McDonald's on Merseyside last December.

But perhaps his greatest claim to infamy is the brutal beating he dealt out to Ousmane Dabo, his former Manchester City team-mate, during a training session in April 2007. The Frenchman was later hospitalised with a fractured eye socket and a detached retina.

And yet Newcastle have held onto Barton, despite the fact he has spent more time behind bars than in the Barcodes' kit since joining the club last year.

The 26-year-old is back in training with Joe Kinnear's side and could be selected for this weekend's derby clash against Sunderland, the interim manager having recently voiced his backing for the much-maligned player.

Speaking to the press yesterday afternoon, Barton made no excuses for his past actions and accepted full responsibility for his crimes. But he stressed that he is focused on becoming a better person and resurrecting his once-promising career.

Indefensible

"I'm not asking for anyone to feel sorry for me. If anything, I deserve every bit of criticism levelled at me," the Liverpool native said.

"I can't stand here and try to defend myself because I'm indefensible. And I'm the first to acknowledge that. I am indefensible. But I'm a human being. I have made mistakes, probably a lot more than others, but people are quick to condemn me.

"If you don't make mistakes you don't give them the chance to start throwing stones. All I would say is that I have hopefully learned from my mistakes and I'm trying to put things right and get my football career and my life back on track."

Shortly before deserting his post as Newcastle manager, Kevin Keegan expressed his belief that Barton was capable of completing the transformation from bad boy to model professional.

Many would disagree with that view, but Barton has taken encouragement from the success stories of comparable characters in other sports.

Inspiration

"I was watching the boxing the other night and saw Bernard Hopkins who was in jail for four years and he managed to turn his life around. I just have to try to take inspiration from that," he said.

"I'm not the first person to mess up, and I've messed up on more than one occasion, but nothing sobers you up like the reality of going to prison. That's it. I know it's the last-chance saloon. I'm just thankful I've got that opportunity.

"Now it's time for me to keep my head down and let my football do my talking."

Furthermore, Barton audaciously proposed that he could become a role model to football fans who have no common ground with the sport's golden boys.

"Some young kids look at the likes of Michael Owen, David Beckham, who are unbelievable professionals but who are squeaky clean, and they can't relate to them," he said.

"I've met people on the street and I've met people in prison and they relate to me. When I speak I do so from experience about the things I've done wrong and how I've tried to change. I think they respect that.

"Hopefully, I will be able to reach those people who have been unreachable. That's all I can do."

Leslie May

BULLS***! *COUGH*

Ok whats going on with this editing business? That is not the word I typed. I put B*******! In all caps too lol