Joey Barton charged over alleged assault, man seriously injured | OneFootball

Former footballer Joey Barton has been charged with assault following an incident near a golf club in north-west England.

According to Merseyside Police, the 43-year-old and a second man are accused of attacking a man on Sunday near Liverpool. The victim sustained serious facial and body injuries and is in hospital in a serious but stable condition.

Earlier on Tuesday, a separate hearing was held in a defamation case brought by former England forward Eni Aluko against Barton.

In December last year he received a six-month suspended sentence for gravely offensive social media posts targeting presenter Jeremy Vine and commentators Lucy Ward and Aluko.

Barton, who played for several Premier League clubs and Marseille, has previously been involved in on and off pitch altercations during his career. In March 2025 he was convicted of assaulting his partner during a 2021 dispute and was handed a 12-week suspended sentence.

Source: L'Équipe