Frank Lampard's feud with Joey Barton turned nasty during England altercation

Joey Barton is fully aware that his opportunities to play for England were limited by the quality of players around him.

Barton played in the era of the ‘Golden Generation’, where Steven Gerrard, Frank Lampard and Paul Scholes occupied England’s midfield.

As a result, Barton managed just one appearance for the Three Lions. It came in a 1-0 defeat to Spain in 2007, when the former Newcastle United midfielder came off the bench to play the final 12 minutes.

“It was disappointing to me that my England career only lasted 12 minutes, but I wasn’t expected to get one cap,” Barton said on talkSPORT in 2018.

“There were some incredible players ahead of me – Gerrard and Lampard were the main two players in there. Michael Carrick, Scott Parker, Paul Scholes – it wasn’t what it is now.”

What made Barton’s one and only appearance for England interesting is that he was involved in a public spat with the player he replaced late in the second half.

Barton and Lampard’s feud began after the former criticised the Chelsea legend’s performances at the 2006 World Cup, saying he couldn’t play alongside Gerrard. 

Barton also accused members of the England squad of cashing in on their lack of success, and it’s hard not to think that Lampard – who released an autobiography following the 2006 tournament – was one of the players he was thinking of.

“I don’t think Joey should talk about me and Steve Gerrard, that probably says enough,” Lampard responded in an interview with The Times.

“Joey mentioned that he was running at six in the morning in Dubai on holiday and then he wondered if me and Stevie G were doing the same.

“When I read that, I thought: ‘I was doing that when I was 11’. That’s the difference.

“As a professional – and I know I’m