BURNLEY boss Sean Dyche reckons honesty is the best policy in dealing with controversial midfielder Joey Barton.

The Englishman was a stand-out for the Clarets as they clinched the Championship title last term but quit Turf Moor in the summer to pen a two-year deal with Rangers.

Barton remains suspended by the Ibrox club following a training ground bust-up and row with boss Mark Warburton in the aftermath of the 5-1 Old Firm defeat at Parkhead.

The 34-year-old is unlikely to play for the Gers again but Dyche was coy about the possibility of Barton returning to Burnley in the future.

Dyche said: “In my experience, the reason for that is that I was very honest with him.

“We had three hours in my house before he agreed to come up to us. He was honest with me, I was honest with him and I think he liked that.

“I am not suggesting by the way, incase anyone wants to spin that another way, I am not suggesting that anyone is not being honest with him. I just found that was a good platform to build from.

“Some of the stuff that I told him would be in place was in place so when he got to the actual environment and the people he was working with I think he thought ‘OK, you have told me everything and it is actually happening right in front of my face. I am enjoying the challenge of it’.

“I was asked quite in-depth obviously with what has gone on at Rangers and I said ‘look, I can only judge by what I found’.

“And that was absolutely top class the way he went about it, the way he was with the group, the staff. Very demanding still and if he asks a question he needs an answer.

“But as long as you give him that answer and speak with him he was first class.

“He was first class on the pitch by the way. His conduct on the pitch [was] exemplary last season.

“I am telling you now, he was getting smashed all over the place by players attempting to wind him up. He stayed absolutely steadfast to the cause for the club.

“That helped players around him I think and brought other players to life at times. He is just one of those people.

“Sometimes it works. Sometimes it just fits, there is not always a complete definition for it. He fitted with us, we fitted with him.”