Barton looking to future

Controversial Newcastle midfielder Joey Barton believes he is now in the right frame of mind to get his career back on track. The 27-year-old, who is currently on the sidelines after having foot surgery, has had a turbulent career dogged by controversy. A history of bust-ups with fans, team-mates and the general public have made Barton an unpopular figure among football fans up and down the country. His training ground assault on former Manchester City team-mate Ousmane Dabo cost the midfielder a six-game ban, which was handed to him shortly after his release from prison in the wake of an assualt on a teenager on a night out. However, he has had time to reflect on his past during his spell out of the game and admits that being injured and now plying his trade in the Championship could be consequences of his past. Better place"I'm in a better place now," Barton told The Sun. "Even though I've got a cast on my leg and I'm on crutches because I'm injured once again. "If I'm honest, my career has gone backwards over the last two years and, of course, some of it is my own doing. "The first year at Newcastle I broke my foot, got arrested and had the court case hanging over me for the rest of the season. "I came out of jail in time for the start of the season and then got a ban from the FA. "Then I broke my other foot, came back and tore knee ligaments, came back and injured my foot, got sent off and missed the end of the season and the club got relegated. "Now I'm injured again and you think 'what have I done to deserve this' but my whole philosophy is it all happens for a reason. "Someone somewhere is thinking 'let's push him and challenge him a bit more' and it gets you down. "There's nothing worse for me as a footballer than being injured as it takes away your passion in life but I've just got to get on with it. "There are a lot of people a lot worse off than me and that puts it in perspective." ReluctantBarton was reluctant to accept that he has made bad decisions in his career but admits he must be prepared to deal with the consequences of his actions, and has given up alcohol in a bid to aid this. "There's no such thing as good and bad decisions - just the consequences of the choices you make," he said. "I've had to deal with those consequences and one of those was that I decided to lead my life in a different way and for me that meant abstaining from drinking." He added: "I'm not an egomaniac but everyone has a side where you think you're the most important person in the world. "Then reality kicks in and you realise you're far from it."

Source: SKY_Sports