SCOTTISH FOOTBALL: Rangers terminate Joey Barton's contract

The controversial midfielder has not featured for the Ibrox side since being banished from the club following a furious bust-up with manager Mark Warburton in the wake of September’s humiliating 5-1 defeat to Celtic.

Rangers said in a statement: “Rangers and Joey Barton have agreed to terminate his contract with immediate effect. Neither Rangers nor Joey Barton will comment further.”

Barton’s representatives met with Gers officials on Wednesday in a bid to bring the eight-week stalemate to an end, with a severance deal eventually agreed.

The Light Blues were desperate to offload the £20,000-a-week summer signing after watching his Ibrox switch turn sour.

The 34-year-old former Manchester City, Newcastle and QPR battler has not been seen in a Rangers kit since suffering that painful Parkhead pasting back on September 10.

Warburton gathered his shell-shocked squad together two days’ later for a training-ground post-mortem, but it soon turned ugly as Barton launched into an explosive rant that saw him trade insults with both the manager and team-mate Andy Halliday.

The Gers boss was left furious when Barton refused to apologise for questioning his methods - specifically his acid-tongued criticism of Rangers’ defensive set-up - in front of the first team.

The former Brentford boss decided a period of calm was required and told the former England international to stay away from the club’s Auchenhowie training ground for a week.

But Barton stoked Warburton’s fury further when he gave an unauthorised radio interview questioning his manager’s handling of the initial fall-out.

And despite the club insisting neither party would comment further, Barton soon took to Twitter to thank the Gers support.

“I’d like to thank the supporters of Rangers for their incredible support during my time at the club. Wish you all the best for the future.”