"When I went to QPR, it was a choice dictated by money. I didn't like what I had done, and I swore I'd never do that again. It was the first time in my life that I had taken a decision for money. I did it because my partner was due to give birth - but I did not feel good about it. The more money you have, the more problems you have. When I was in prison I got £7 a week and that was simpler. You'd use it to buy food and that was it."

EXPLAINING WHY MONEY WON'T INFLUENCE HIS NEXT MOVE.

"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**t. Here's my book.' Who wants to read that?"

ON ENGLAND PLAYERS BRINGING OUT AUTOBIOGRAPHIES.

"I'd take it off Alan Hansen, but not from that bell, same fella that stamped on Neil Lennon,then threatened FA if they banned him. I really don't like that p***k, in fact I honestly despise him."

BARTON RESPONDS TO CRITICISM FROM ALAN SHEARER.

"Go back under your stone you odious little toad."

BARTON MOVES ON TO MATCH OF THE DAY COLLEAGUE GARY LINEKER.

"In one training game, I went in a little hard on him, I think I left my shoulder in. He took exception to it and went in really late on me a few minutes later, but I saw it coming and jumped out of the way. Then, we started insulting each other. I told him I thought he was s**t at football, he told me I thought I was big-time and started swearing at me in French. So training gets cut short, and we’re all walking off the pitch, but me and him are still having a pop at each other, and I just remember laughing at him and saying, dead sarcastically ‘Yeah, you’re a good player’. He literally just flipped and sprinted towards me, and when he got about a yard away, he pulled his fist back to hit me.

"He was a big old lad, too, so I wasn’t just gonna let myself get hit. I punched him and took the wind out of his sails. But obviously he wasn’t gonna just back down after that, so I thought ‘Right, we’re in a fight here and I’m not gonna take any chances’, so I hit him again and I knocked him out. I think I threw two punches during the whole thing. He started a fight, I responded and he lost."

ON TRAINING GROUND BUST-UP WITH OUSMANE DABO AT MANCHESTER CITY

"If there is a God. If you do exist. Prove yourself. Take out either Adrian Chiles or Andy Townsend with a stray bolt of lightning. The nation awaits."

BARTON ON GOD'S EXISTENCE.

"This Man City is not the people's club I left. This is a billionaire Emirati family's plaything. No soul. Just corporate greed."

HIS VIEWS ON HIS FORMER CLUB.

"I fell out with the hierarchy at Newcastle. With what has come after at that club, people have seen what the owner Mike Ashley was attempting to do. I didn’t feel I could buy in to that. Being one with the fans has always been massive to me. At City, I got on well with the fans. At Newcastle, I did."

BARTON ON WHY HE LEFT NEWCASTLE.

"I will be impactful as a manager. I feel fortunate to have been given a number of chances. I was surprised I was. Would I be as forgiving with somebody who made as many mistakes as me? I’m not sure.”

BARTON ON WHEN HE BECOMES A MANAGER.

"Perhaps I shouldn't say it, but I'm maybe a little too intelligent to be a footballer."

BARTON BELIEVES HE IS IN THE WRONG JOB.