Burnley confirm Barton arrival

Burnley have confirmed that midfielder Joey Barton has finalised his return to the club after a brief and controversial spell at Rangers.

Barton joins on a deal until the end of the season, with the news announced shortly after Burnley’s 2-1 Premier League defeat at Manchester City on Monday.

The outspoken 34-year-old was a key member of Sean Dyche’s side as Burnley topped the Championship last season, but opted for a switch to Ibrox rather than make his return to the Premier League.

His stay in Glasgow was short-lived, however, after he was suspended for three weeks for a training-ground spat with team-mate Andy Halliday in the aftermath of the 5-1 Old Firm defeat to rivals Celtic in September.

Barton’s exile was extended when he was given a one-match ban by the Scottish Football Association after admitting placing 44 bets between July 1 and September 15, 2016.

His registration at Burnley was completed in time for him to serve that suspension against City, meaning he is available to face Sunderland in the FA Cup third round on Saturday.

However, a further sanction could come Barton’s way after he was charged last month by the FA over allegations he placed 1,260 bets on games over a 10-year period between March 2006 and May 2016.