JOEY Barton boldly declared last night that he is moving to Rangers to be the best player in the country. The larger-than-life 33-year-old English midfielder, paraded yesterday at Murray Park on a two-year deal following his move on a free transfer from promoted Burnley, has a controversial past but he said he felt ready to embrace the madness of life at the Old Firm as he accepted the No 8 jersey once worn by Paul Gascoigne.
"I think I have got all the skills needed to deal with this," said Barton. "I’ve lived a quite intense period of my life. I understand it is going to be intense up here but I think I have finally found a level of maturity that is befitting of my standing within the game. My football is reaping the rewards of that.
"I feel I was the best midfielder in the Championship last year," he added. "I think my performances over 46 games proved that. There are some good players up here. But I’m not coming up here just to be another player. I’m coming up here to be the best player in the country."
While he has never previously attended an Old Firm match - indeed certain Celtic supporters felt, on the strength of comments on Twitter, that he would never sign for the Ibrox club - Barton admits he is drawn to the fixture. But equally he knows it will be his weekly performances on which he is judged, at a club where second best is not an option. Having turned down a one-year deal to stay at Burnley, he feels more than capable of playing in the Barclays Premier League.
"You cannot get away from the big hotbeds in football," said Barton. "It’s like if the opportunity came to play for AC Milan or Inter. They are not in the greatest periods of their history but you would think: 'how can I turn that down?'
"I think everyone is aware of it [the Old Firm match], everyone saw the semi-final," he added. "The world, in footballing terms, does stop for massive games, the way it does for El Classico in Spain. People stop for the Old Firm and it is great for Scottish football that it is back.
Read more: David Weir feared the days of Rangers signing the likes of Joey Barton were in the past
"But that isn’t the prime motivation in me coming here. If you have played at the top level, like I have in England for most of my career and been abroad to play in France, you don’t want to come and play in the lower leagues. If I had wanted money I would have gone to the MLS or China, or somewhere more lucrative. If I wanted to down tools, there are easier places to go than Scotland.
"I am fully aware that this isn’t going to be an easy ride for me as a player and I don’t expect it to be. I expect it to be an enormous challenge on many different facets. There are going to be a lot of challenges you don’t get south of the border. I know I have got to be at the top of my game. Nothing from my perspective is about coming up here and coasting. Second place is nothing here. Second in the cup final is nothing, second in the league is nothing. Everything is about winning and there is an enormous pressure and responsibility attached to that. But, for a competitive animal like myself, that is heaven for me."
Barton admitted he had been sold on the club during a tour of Ibrox in the company of assistant manager David Weir and said he was awe-struck by the history of the place. “It’s an institution of British football, you walk in the trophy room and you see the portrait of Bill Struth down the bottom and the pennant on the wall and everything that goes with it," said Barton. "All the great names from down the years and you’re being shown round by Davie, who is obviously in the Hall of Fame. I didn’t want to come to Scotland, as many people have done in the past when their best days are behind them. I know for sure I can compete in the Premier League, I think I’ve proved that last year and weirdly in the relegation season at QPR. It’s great for Scottish football at the minute because with Brendan going to Celtic it’s hopefully the start of Scottish football getting back to where it’s been for decades.
“I’m a strong believer in things happening in life, good and bad, for a reason. And this just falls into place on so many levels and I’m so excited to be here. It’s a tough industry, a comply-or-die industry. If you are not ready for the challenge then you don’t deserve to pull on a jersey. I’m ready for it. I can’t wait to go away next week and start my pre-season programme, to make sure I hit the ground running."
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