Joey Barton believes that he is as good as the other England internationals and that he should be playing for England.

Speaking from the Everton Hospitality Tickets, Barton was in no mood to mess around.

"First and foremost I want to do well for Newcastle but, after watching some of the performances in the World Cup, on form I'm as good as anyone in this country and I don't say that lightly," said Barton, who has one England cap.

"I'm a much more rounded footballer than I was when I first came to Newcastle," added a now teetotal 27-year-old, whose three-year spell on Tyneside has been interrupted by a 77-day spell in prison in 2008, serving a sentence for assault. "I'm very confident of finding the form which got me into the England squad in the first place. That's my goal. And if I can break into the England squad it will prove I'm doing fantastically well for this football club."

Joey Barton has never lacked confidence and had no inhibitions about offering England's manager some advice while also cautioning him against being blinded by big names. "It seems to me like the dynamics have to change," said a man capable of playing in both central and wide midfield positions. "Fabio Capello has said he'll pick players in form. Sometimes it hasn't happened like that and people have been picked when they haven't been performing at club level."

He trusts England's South African ignominy will prove a watershed prompting a new era of meritocracy. "As an Englishman it [watching the World Cup] wasn't good," Barton, a £5.8m recruit from Manchester City who joined Newcastle in the summer of 2007, said. "Hopefully this can force the game to change and they'll stop picking names and instead pick players playing well. All successful countries do that."

Barton won his only England cap as a substitute, replacing Frank Lampard during a 1-0 friendly defeat by Spain at Old Trafford in February 2007.

JOEY BARTON has vowed to play “anywhere” for Newcastle United next season – as long as it safeguards the club’s top-flight status.

The Scouser’s season – like his career on Tyneside for long periods – was decimated by injury, with a foot problem limiting him to just 15 appearances in the Championship.

But as Barton began to return to full fitness after a six-month absence, the games ran out after a long road to recovery for the one-time England international.

Barton told the Chronicle: “I just love my football and want to play for this club.

“It’s about being part of a successful Newcastle United.

“I would play left-back or right-back, or even in goal, if they asked me to! It’s just great to be part of it and be part of a collective group that wants to win and be successful.”

Joey Barton has pledged to stay at Newcastle next season and help establish them back in the Premier League.

The midfielder has featured in Newcastle's last six games after recovering from a foot injury that sidelined him for most of the campaign.

Barton's future has been the subject of constant speculation, but the former Manchester City man insists he is staying at St James' Park.

"I am not going anywhere," Barton told the Northern Echo. "I love everything about this football club, every player here. I'd be hard pushed to find a group of lads like it, a group of lads that I'd want to have a go with. This is them. I've had a lot of chances here, and although it's been said before, I just want to prove how grateful I am by getting out there and playing football.

NEWCASTLE United manager Chris Hughton today played down a report that midfielder Joey Barton has suffered a setback in his rehabilitation from a foot injury.

Barton was expected to return in January, but there were reports today that it could be even longer.

But Hughton said: "I'm not aware of a further setback. It's a four-month period of rehabilitation, and as far as I'm aware it hasn't changed."

NEWCASTLE UNITED’S troubled midfielder Joey Barton is out until February following complications over his foot injury.

Other injuries and off-field problems have restricted the England player to just 31 starts for the Geordies since his £5.7million move from Manchester City in 2007.

Barton broke a bone in his foot during Newcastle’s 3-1 Championship win over Plymouth on September 19.

The operation to repair the damage was all the more difficult because it also involved a piece of bone being removed from Barton’s thigh and inserted in the foot.

JOEY BARTON has set his sights on a January comeback after returning to United's Benton HQ this week.

The controversial midfielder saw his season grind to a halt after undergoing a foot operation earlier this month – but he has now had the cast removed.

Barton has exploratory surgery on the problem that had been nagging him since the season kicked off in August.

And although manager Chris Hughton originally felt that Barton could miss up to four months of the season, the Chronicle understands that the Scouser is aiming to make a return at some stage in January.

Barton was spotted at the club’s training ground ahead of his intensive rehab programme this week and looked in good spirits.

His return comes after Hughton granted him some time off last week, and the Merseysider was present at Newbury to watch his horse Electric Feel as it romped home in first place.

Newcastle bad boy Joey Barton has shown the other side of his complex character by buying a minibus for the football charity that helped him during his troubles.

Barton wrote out a cheque for £20,000 to purchase the much-needed transport for Sporting Chance, the Hampshire clinic established by former Arsenal great Tony Adams — who recovered from alcoholism — to aid sports people beat destructive addictions.

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