10 Footballers You Totally Forgot Played For England
7. Joey Barton
Throughout his entire career, Joey Barton has been followed by trouble and controversy both on and off the pitch. He has been sent to prison and served a suspended sentence for two separate acts of violence, with the latter coming at the end of his Manchester City career in 2007, he has been suspended by the FA due to gambling, and again for violence on the pitch several times.
This has even spilled over to his managerial career. The Fleetwood Town boss was charged with Actual Bodily Harm after a coming together with Barnsley manager Daniel Stendel after the two met in 2019. All this, on top of THAT interview after signing with Marseille in 2012, often overshadow what Barton did as a footballer.
Barton impressed at Man City enough in 2007 to earn a call-up to the England squad, coming on for Frank Lampard in the 78th minute against Spain. This was just three months before assaulting teammate Ousmane Dabo, and five months before his permanent transfer away from the Citizens.
Barton played for ten more years and never pulled on the England shirt again, despite his feeling that he was still good enough.