Burnley swoop for 'bad boy' Barton

(Reuters) - Joey Barton, the former Manchester City and Newcastle United midfielder, has joined second-tier Burnley, the club said on Thursday. Barton, 32, had been without a club since being released by fellow Championship side Queens Park Rangers in the summer. He signed a one-year contract at Burnley, who were relegated from the Premier League, alongside his old team, last season. "He was very respectful when speaking about our club at the end of last season and during the summer," manager Sean Dyche told the club's website. Barton played once for England during a controversial career in England and France - where he spent a season with Olympique de Marseille -- scoring 31 goals in all competitions but collecting eight red cards. (Reporting by Neville Dalton, editing by Pritha Sarkar)