JOEY Barton today described his Rangers training ground ban as “strange” – increasing speculation that his Ibrox career may be over.

Barton has been ordered to stay away from training for a week following a bust-up at Auchenhowie on Monday as the players conducted a post-mortem into the 5-1 defeat to Celtic.

The Englishman was interviewed by Jim White of talkSPORT this morning and expressed his bemusement at the situation.

Read more: Barton fuels speculation over his Rangers future by describing training ground ban as "strange"Glasgow Times: Celtic's Scott Brown (right) with Joey Barton. Picture: SNS

The 34-year-old had taken to Twitter last night to underline that he respected the decision of manager Mark Warburton.

But the Englishman's public assessment of his ban as "strange" will do little to improve relations with his countryman in the wake of the Old Firm loss.

It has also been suggested that Barton and Andy Halliday, the midfielder who has found himself out of the first team this season, had been involved in a heated exchange.

But he denied that he had fallen out with his team mate and insisted they were simply both passionate about delivering on-field success.

Barton told talkSPORT: “They’ve told me to stay away but there are a lot of misconceptions out there at the moment. I’ve been asked to re-evaluate the way I’m thinking, but I don’t think they’re going to change - I want Rangers to win!

“We lost to our fiercest rivals at the weekend, we came in to train on Monday and Tuesday and we’re picking the bones of how we get better, how we get Rangers back to the top of Scottish football.

“We’re asked for an opinion and I’m someone who gives an opinion. Two passionate Rangers players have then shared opinions on how we get better as a team and what’s going wrong for us. It’s nothing more and nothing less than that.

“Obviously, sometimes the way I communicate can be a bit blunt and a bit direct and it ruffles people’s feathers, which I know I have to work at, but I don’t apologise for trying to win. I care deeply about playing football.”

Barton added: “There is absolutely no issue with me and Andy. We sat down in the dressing room afterwards and spoke through what was said. It’s disappointing that certain people are trying to insinuate that there is, because it’s completely false.

“Andy is a mad, passionate Rangers fan, he’s stood in the terraces, so I’ve got great respect for him. He cares deeply about making the club better, as it do.

“But the way it’s been handled is strange. When you look at my history and you’re told to stay away from the club, it does look like something more has happened, and that’s why I’ve decided to get on the radio and speak, because it’s wrong.”

Asked why Halliday hasn’t also been told to stay away from Rangers after the disagreement, Barton explained: “Because Andy stopped on the training ground.

"The manager pulled me in afterwards and asked me to explain what I’d said and I’d told him in no certain terms where I believed it to be at.

“So he’s saying I need to go away think things through. Whilst I didn’t agree with that, he’s the manager of the football club and I have to accept that.”

Then, quizzed about whether he had apologised to Mark Warburton, Barton replied: “…I don’t believe I’ve done anything to apologise for.

“It’s the tone of language I’ve used [that was the problem].

“Maybe I don’t communicate like somebody who has been educated at Eton, but that’s not me, I’m from Liverpool. I communicate how I communicate and I want to win football matches.

“It can be bristling at times and for that I take responsibility. Maybe I could communicate better and I accept that, but the message doesn’t change.

“It’s not the wrong message I’m communicating, and it’s unfair for anybody to say that is the case.”