Joey Barton is convinced he is still as good as any midfielder in England at his best.
The 27-year-old Newcastle player's time on Tyneside has been blighted by injuries and his infamous spell behind bars, but he is determined to rediscover his best form on a sustained basis to finally provide a return on the Magpies' £5.8million investment three summers ago.
Barton, who captained Chris Hughton's side in Saturday's 3-0 friendly victory at Carlisle, told the Evening Chronicle: "For me, first and foremost I want to do well for Newcastle United.
"But watching some of the performances in the World Cup over the summer I think that on form, I'm as good as anybody in this country.
"I don't say that lightly and I have to go out and prove that, but surely every midfielder in this country should be thinking like that?"
Source: PA