Joey Barton was far from the worst player to represent England, but given the talent ahead of him in the pecking order in midfield, his opportunities to represent his nation were limited.
It’s no surprise when you consider the likes of Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Paul Scholes all played during the same time as Barton, but the Scouser didn’t represent England as many times as he would have liked.
In fact, he only managed 12 minutes for the Three Lions, coming off the bench in a 1-0 defeat to Spain back in 2007, an incredibly disappointing return for the midfielder.
Joey Barton on his England career
We know how much he was disappointed with his England career, admitting: “It was disappointing to me that my England career only lasted 12 minutes, but I wasn’t expected to get one cap.
“There were some incredible players ahead of me. Gerrard and Lampard were the main two players in there. Michael Carrick, Scott Parker, Paul Scholes, it wasn’t what it is now.”
He also had a falling out with Lampard, which was well documented, with the Scouser claiming that Lampard couldn’t play alongside Gerrard after the 2006 World Cup, which started problems between them.
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LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 07: Former Olympique Marseille player and current Bristol Rovers manager, Joey Barton looks on from the crowd during the UEFA Champions League group D match between Tottenham Hotspur and Olympique Marseille at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on September 07, 2022 in London, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
What did Frank Lampard say?
The iconic midfielder responded to Barton’s comments, claiming: “I don’t think Joey should talk about me and Steve Gerrard, that probably says enough. Joey mentioned that he was running at six in the morning in Dubai on holiday and then he wondered if me and Stevie G were doing the same.
“When I read that, I thought: ‘I was doing that when I was 11’. That’s the difference.
“As a professional – and I know I’m talking about another player now – you shouldn’t talk about other players too much.”
Barton’s feud with Lampard continued to the England camp in 2007 when he was called up for the first time, with the Chelsea legend eager to purposefully sit away from Barton on England duty at breakfast.
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BLOEMFONTEIN, SOUTH AFRICA - JUNE 27: Frank Lampard of England is stunned after his goal is disallowed during the 2010 FIFA World Cup South Africa Round of Sixteen match between Germany and England at Free State Stadium on June 27, 2010 in Bloemfontein, South Africa. (Photo by Joern Pollex/Getty Images)
In typical Barton fashion, he reportedly said: “It’s all right, I’m not going to nick your breakfast you fat p***k.”
If that’s the case then it’s no shock that Barton only has the one England cap, quite frankly, no manager would want that attitude around his team, he only has himself to blame for the lack of opportunities at international level