F ootballer Joey Barton has hinted that he might sue the Daily Mail after one of its columnists joked he should come out to detract from his chequered past. In his article notorious commentator Martin Samuel said that as the sport was desperately looking for a player to come out as gay to improve its image, Joey Barton should make sure it is him. “Instant credibility, instant respect, untouchable by the Football Association or future employers. His past misdeeds mentally reprocessed and explained.” Said Samuel. He added: “And imagine the new material. A never-ending treasure trove for Barton’s Twitter feed: Alexander the Great, Leonardo da Vinci, Oscar Wilde, Lady Bunny.”
On his Twitter account, Joey lashed out at Samuel’s article. First he said “People’s sexuality, colour of skin, religious beliefs should not matter. It should not be an issue. Yet time and time again it is.” He went on to say he called the Daily Mail office and left a message for Samuel to call him back. After, he tweeted – “I shall wait for his retort before I decide what to do. It’s actually a disgusting piece. That says more about him and his outlook.”
In earlier tweets, Barton mentioned that he intended to sue the Daily Mail for the homophobic content of the article and false allegation that he is gay.
