Oliver Kay suggested Barton published a book on his, shall we say 'colourful' career and life so far.
"I'd never write a book unless I'd done something. I've achieved nothing in this game. Maybe in time, if I achieve everything I want and I win trophies, I'll write a book. But what I have done in my career? 'And there was this one season we finished eighth at Manchester City . . .' You know what I mean?" said Barton, apparently a Times reader and a lover of autobiographies.
"I can't get my head round that," getting onto England players publishing books after Germany 2006. "England did nothing in that World Cup, so why were they bringing books out? 'We got beat in the quarter-finals. I played like s***. Here's my book.' Who wants to read that? I don't.
"If I'm buying a book, I'll buy a book about someone who's won something, not a book someone's written for the sake of it because their agent's telling them they can cash in. I know football is a well-oiled PR machine these days, but that's just bulls***. I know these players and I bet some of them didn't even want to do books.
"I watched the World Cup and that wasn't a team for me," he added. "You compare it to the England team that won the rugby World Cup. I might be a million miles off the mark, but it seemed to be a team of individuals playing for themselves and not wanting to do the nasty things involved in being a team. OK, some were prepared to do that, but there were too many people pulling in different directions."
Asked about making the England squad, Barton said his priority was doing well for City before adding: "The way I see it, there's players in that squad who are happy just to be part of a 26-man squad. That's no good for the ones who are playing.
"Touch wood, if I was picked for England, I wouldn't just want to make the numbers up. I wouldn't be saying, 'I'm in the squad. Look at all these top players I'm with.' I'd be going there and rattling some cages and wanting to take someone's place. I might never make it, but if I don't, it won't be for lack of trying."
Strong words; and Barton could soon be mixing it with those aforementioned under-achievers.
McClaren named Barton and recent debutant Micah Richards on a list of 50 players the England set-up will be keeping an eye on over the winter.
"I like Joey Barton," he said. "I tried to buy him at Middlesbrough. He's had his troubles but he's come through that. He's one of those players we talk about who has matured. He's a leader, a great character. I saw him in the Manchester derby. You need forthright people like that, not on the field but off it as well."
The Barton interview is excellent and also delves into some of his darker moments, so to do it full justice, click below..
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3164-2494826_2,00.html