Joey Barton arrested on suspicion of serious assault
Joey Barton has been detained by Merseyside Police
One-time England international Joey Barton has been arrested on suspicion of attacking a man near Liverpool.
The 43-year-old was one of two men detained by Merseyside Police after an incident near the Huyton and Prescot Golf Club on Sunday night. They are being held on suspicion of section 18 wounding, a form of grievous bodily harm.
It has been reported that the victim required hospital treatment for facial and rib injuries. His condition is described as serious but stable.
The Liverpool Echo reported a man was found on the floor covered in blood on Fairway in Huyton, where Barton was born. Police remain on the scene with sniffer dogs searching the area this morning.
One person, who lives near the scene of the alleged crime, told the Echo: “We didn’t know if he [the victim] had fallen or if he’d been attacked. We just rang an ambulance and then we saw the blue lights arrive.
“When my partner went to work yesterday morning they had took the cordon down and they were washing the pavement. That’s why there’s sand all over the pavement from where they washed it. Then they came back around 8pm last night.”
Who is Joey Barton?
Barton won his solitary Three Lions cap against Spain at Old Trafford in 2007.
He came through the youth ranks at Manchester City before joining Newcastle in 2007. Spells at QPR, Marseille, Burnley and Rangers followed before he hung up his boots after 269 Premier League appearances in 2017.
A relatively unsuccessful career as manager of Fleetwood and Bristol Rovers followed before he carved out a career in the media. Barton has frequently hit the headlines for his outspoken views on his ’Common Sense’ podcast.