English midfielder Joey Barton admits he is looking forward to starting his career at Marseille.
The 30-year-old recently joined the French giants on a season-long loan from Queens Park Rangers, arriving to the club as a replacement for Stephane Mbia, who had been sold to the Loftus Road outfit.
The player, who has served just two games of his twelve-match ban, believes he will have no problems adapting to the new surroundings.
“English players have done well in France,” Barton told Ligue 1’s official website. “Cole, Cascarino, Waddle, Steven…French football is top-level football.
“There is the problem with the cultural differences and the languages and I will have to adapt.”
The controversial midfielder reveals Marseille are in many ways similar to English Premier League clubs.
“Everybody supports the club in this city. OM has an English feel to it in some ways, with the supporters and the atmosphere.
“OM could be an English club. The club and the city are intrinsically linked. It`s not like London or Paris. Football is integral to the city. When the team wins, the whole city is happy.”
The former England international is set to miss first ten domestic games of the season, after being informed that his 12-match ban would count even if he left English Premier League.
Barton had been handed a lengthy suspension for being sent off on the final day of the Premier League season.
