Joey Barton claims QPR were the ‘least favourite’ of his ex-clubs and he left Newcastle because he was a ‘mercenary’

JOEY BARTON has admitted QPR were the ‘least favourite’ of his old clubs and claims he only joined them as he was a ‘mercenary’ and took the highest wage on offer.

The former Manchester City and Newcastle midfielder, 41, was sacked as Bristol Rovers boss in October 2023.

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The one-cap Englishman appeared on to discuss his rollercoaster career, including his infamous training ground bust-up with former City team-mate Ousmane Dabo.

Fowler, 48, is himself out of work as a manger after leaving Saudi First club  in the same month Barton lost his Rovers job.

And in an open and frank interview with the Liverpool legend, controversial figure Barton held nothing back as he discussed his time at QPR.

And he openly admits the 2011 switch from Newcastle to the capital was purely "a financial decision" rather than a playing one.

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Barton said: “QPR is probably my least favourite (of my ex-clubs). I didn’t really enjoy it, I shouldn’t have gone in hindsight.

“I left Newcastle and I fell out with Mike Ashley and I was looking for a new home and I was about to start a new family and it became, ‘Who is the highest bidder’.

“I knew I was a mercenary at that point in terms of I wasn’t moving to push on and push up the table, I knew I was moving as a financial decision.

He added: “So QPR was tough, the fans didn’t particularly like me and I’ve still got 80 per cent of the fanbase who don’t like me because I earned a lot of money even though I turned it around in the end and captained them to promotion.

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“Probably for me Newcastle is the closest connection to the fans I had.”

Barton left QPR to join Marseille on loan in 2012 but returned to the club and helped them win promotion to the Premier League in 2014.

He made 99 appearances for them in total before leaving permanently to join Burnley in 2015.

Barton had a brief spell at Rangers in 2016 before heading back to Turf Moor to finish his playing career under Sean Dyche.

He then bossed Fleetwood from 2018-2021 before two years at his last job Rovers