Joey Barton could make a good football pundit when he decides to hang up his boots.
Barton may not always be right, and he’s made many mistakes during his career, but he’s prepared to state his opinion. He goes against the popular opinion and challenges others.
However, that being said, we doubt you’ll agree with his assessment of N’Golo Kante.
Barton seems to think the Chelsea midfielder, who is on course to win his second Premier League title, just four years after playing in the French second division, is overrated.
“In England, there are boxes and it is impossible to get out of them,” Barton said during an interview French newspaper Le Journal du Dimanche.
“At the moment, for example, everyone swears by N’Golo Kante. It’s fashionable.
“For pundits, he’s the best midfielder in the world but that’s not the case. He’s very good, but I played against him three weeks ago.
“He’s a phenomenal destroyer who played in a phenomenal team, but he’s not a creator. And it’s impossible to be so definitive with a player who has not played in the Champions League.
“Two years ago, no-one knew who he was and I was surprised that the scouts missed him. I’m skeptical.”
Maybe Joey’s right, maybe Kante is overrated. But bear in mind that the French midfielder was the key component in Leicester City winning the Premier League.
And he’s now on course to win the title for a second year with a different team – the first player to do achieve that feat since Eric Cantona in the early 90s.
He also left Stamford Bridge last Monday with £90m in his back pocket. He bossed Paul Pogba in the FA Cup quarter-final win over Manchester United, and scored the only goal of the game.
He’s arguably the most effective player in the English top flight, and would improve any team in the country, but that’s clearly not enough for Joey.
Catch up with this week’s episode of 888sport Football Friday Live
