Former Rangers midfielder Joey Barton has come under fire from his pundit contemporaries after ranting about the "pathetic" standard of football in Scotland.
Barton who had his contract terminated by Rangers a year-and-a-half ago after spending less than six months in Scottish football compared Scottish football to the Sunday league in England.
Now a regular guest on Alan Brazil's Sports Breakfast show on talkSport, he said: "“I decided I couldn’t deal with the poor standards around me.
“I’ve got a lot of respect for the traditions of Scottish football - Celtic and Rangers and the Old Firm - but the standard of football, let’s be serious, is pathetic up there."
The 35-year-old then reignited his rivalry with Celtic star Scott Brown questioning whether he "is the full shilling.
Brown had been involved in a flashpoint in the Hoops’ 0-0 draw at Motherwell which led to defender Cedric Kipre being sent off.
"Has Scott Brown been cheating again?" he asked. "Is he the full shilling? We saw him up at Aberdeen the other week and then wearing the shades against Rangers.
"It seems to me he is a little bit short.
“He doesn't look the full ticket to me."
Just last week, Barton dismissed Scottish football as a “Sunday league competition,” claiming that he hadn’t watched the five-goal thriller at Ibrox between his former club and Celtic as he had been “too busy watching real football.”
'The standard of football is PATHETIC up there!'
— talkSPORT 📻 (@talkSPORT) March 19, 2018
Watch as @Joey7Barton, who spent less than six months at @RangersFC, gives his damning verdict on Scottish football... 🏴👎
[🎥 @SportsBreakfast] pic.twitter.com/azK3WIXL74
Barton's radio trolling received short shrift on social media.
Football commentator Derek Rae said: "Often wondered while working in Scotland if this is why may Scots are ambivalent about their country's football. Not many nations around the world have to listen to pundits in a different football nation talking disparagingly like this.
"Working in Germany, whose TV can also be picked up in Austria and Switzerland, I can't ever recall hearing German pundits unleash similar outburst decrying Austrian and Swiss football."
Scots football pundit Michael Stewart agreed saying: "What other nation has to suffer another nation's broadcasting? Joey Barton talks about having a serious football discussion. The guy wouldn’t know such a discussion if it was staring him in the face."
Football pundit and Celtic legend Chris Sutton also piled in saying: "You've got to love Joey. Good career, but he was found wanting for Rangers and simply couldn't handle the big club pressure, so it was everyone else's fault.
"So Scottish football is rubbish. And he's had a better career than Lustiug and Brown...mmm."
READ MORE: Rangers terminate Joey Barton's Ibrox contract
Football fans were less polite.
Oldfirmfacts said on Twitter: "Joey Barton calling Scottish football 'pathetic' is the equivalent of Begbie saying ‘I didn’t even want the money anyway’ after trashing the hotel room."
Barry 8 said: "Joey Barton? Joey Essex would have made a better impact in his eight games in Scotland."
Barton's two year deal was terminated following a confrontation with a team-mate and manager Mark Warburton, in the aftermath of a humiliating 5-1 defeat to Old Firm rivals Celtic.
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