15 Jun 2011 17:30:00<\/h4>\n<\/p>\n\n\n![\"Joey](\"http:\/\/u.goal.com\/116500\/116508_news.jpg\")
<\/p>\n<\/div>\nJoey Barton, Newcastle United (Getty Images)<\/p>\n
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Joey Barton<\/a> has said that he hopes Kevin Nolan<\/a>\u2019s move to West Ham United<\/a> break down and believes the midfielder has \u2018achieved iconic status\u2019 at Newcastle<\/a>.<\/p>\nNolan looks set to move to Upton Park and team up with his former boss at Bolton Wanderers, Sam Allardyce.<\/p>\n
On hearing the news earlier Barton could not hide his disappointment, tweeting: \u201cGreat player, leader, captain, person, trainer and mostly a friend for life. Devastated to see him SOLD! #mejoseandjonasnext.\u201d<\/p>\n
Speaking to Sky Sports<\/em> later in the day, Barton again showed his disappointment at the prospect of Nolan leaving, saying that he hoped his move to West Ham broke down, before calling him a Newcastle icon for helping the club come back up from the Championship.<\/p>\n\u201cObviously it would be a great disappointment to lose Kev, he\u2019s a great pal and I think he\u2019s done fantastic for the football club, but this is the game we\u2019re in unfortunately,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
\u201cSometimes it\u2019s a little about ships in the night. Me and Kevin will remain great friends beyond the boundaries of football for the rest of our lives, for the experiences we shared at the football club.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs I say, hopefully the move breaks down, but if it doesn\u2019t then you have to believe in the process of the football club and no one player is bigger than the football club.<\/p>\n
When asked how much Nolan would be missed, he added: \u201cIt\u2019s not really for me to say how much Kevin Nolan will be missed.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe would be a massive loss to any club to achieve what he\u2019s achieved in three years.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know if I\u2019m speaking a little bit untoward, but he\u2019s achieved iconic status at the football club, not only for his three goals against Sunderland in the derby, but just for the way he held himself in and around the city and for the season he had in the Championship and also for the season he had last season, being able to bounce back, and I think he scored 12 Premier League goals which is a phenomenal achievement in any side, never mind a side that\u2019s fighting for its life as we were for long parts of that season.\u201d<\/p>\n
Barton, who has one year left on his Newcastle contract, has been in negotiations with the club about a new deal.<\/p>\n
He insists, though that he does not want to leave Tyneside, but admitted that it might be out of his hands.<\/p>\n
He said: \u201cI love the football club without a shadow of a doubt. I think that everyone knows that, I\u2019ve got a great working relationship with the manager and a lot of the other sets of players and obviously a few of the senior players who have been there for the ups-and-downs.<\/p>\n
\u201cAs far as I know, I\u2019ll go back to Newcastle United and play until my contract runs out and they tell me that I\u2019m no longer needed.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve got no ambitions to leave the football club, I don\u2019t want to leave the football club.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019d love nothing more so than to win a trophy at Newcastle, the same way that a number of players have.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhether I get the opportunity to do that is out of my hands. I\u2019m an employee of a football club and if they choose to do something else in the meantime and if I\u2019m not wanted, I believe greatly enough in my own ability and in myself as a person to say \u2018hang on, if you don\u2019t want me at this football club, I\u2019ll have to re-evaluate my options\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n
As for the future of Newcastle, Barton sounded pessimistic, but said he hoped to be proved wrong in the future.<\/p>\n
He added: \u201cSome of the things that are going on at the football club makes you just question it a little bit, but you\u2019ve got to believe in the process, believe in the plan and believe that the manager knows what he\u2019s doing and the Chairman knows what he\u2019s doing, the owner knows what he\u2019s doing.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey could be doing the best moves ever and only in a year\u2019s time or 18 month\u2019s time will we know that.\u201d<\/p>\n
<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n
<\/p>\n<\/div>\nJoey Barton, Newcastle United (Getty Images)<\/p>\n
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Joey Barton<\/a> has said that he hopes Kevin Nolan<\/a>\u2019s move to West Ham United<\/a> break down and believes the midfielder has \u2018achieved iconic status\u2019 at Newcastle<\/a>.<\/p>\n Nolan looks set to move to Upton Park and team up with his former boss at Bolton Wanderers, Sam Allardyce.<\/p>\n On hearing the news earlier Barton could not hide his disappointment, tweeting: \u201cGreat player, leader, captain, person, trainer and mostly a friend for life. Devastated to see him SOLD! #mejoseandjonasnext.\u201d<\/p>\n Speaking to Sky Sports<\/em> later in the day, Barton again showed his disappointment at the prospect of Nolan leaving, saying that he hoped his move to West Ham broke down, before calling him a Newcastle icon for helping the club come back up from the Championship.<\/p>\n \u201cObviously it would be a great disappointment to lose Kev, he\u2019s a great pal and I think he\u2019s done fantastic for the football club, but this is the game we\u2019re in unfortunately,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cSometimes it\u2019s a little about ships in the night. Me and Kevin will remain great friends beyond the boundaries of football for the rest of our lives, for the experiences we shared at the football club.<\/p>\n \u201cAs I say, hopefully the move breaks down, but if it doesn\u2019t then you have to believe in the process of the football club and no one player is bigger than the football club.<\/p>\n When asked how much Nolan would be missed, he added: \u201cIt\u2019s not really for me to say how much Kevin Nolan will be missed.<\/p>\n \u201cHe would be a massive loss to any club to achieve what he\u2019s achieved in three years.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t know if I\u2019m speaking a little bit untoward, but he\u2019s achieved iconic status at the football club, not only for his three goals against Sunderland in the derby, but just for the way he held himself in and around the city and for the season he had in the Championship and also for the season he had last season, being able to bounce back, and I think he scored 12 Premier League goals which is a phenomenal achievement in any side, never mind a side that\u2019s fighting for its life as we were for long parts of that season.\u201d<\/p>\n Barton, who has one year left on his Newcastle contract, has been in negotiations with the club about a new deal.<\/p>\n He insists, though that he does not want to leave Tyneside, but admitted that it might be out of his hands.<\/p>\n He said: \u201cI love the football club without a shadow of a doubt. I think that everyone knows that, I\u2019ve got a great working relationship with the manager and a lot of the other sets of players and obviously a few of the senior players who have been there for the ups-and-downs.<\/p>\n \u201cAs far as I know, I\u2019ll go back to Newcastle United and play until my contract runs out and they tell me that I\u2019m no longer needed.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve got no ambitions to leave the football club, I don\u2019t want to leave the football club.<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d love nothing more so than to win a trophy at Newcastle, the same way that a number of players have.<\/p>\n \u201cWhether I get the opportunity to do that is out of my hands. I\u2019m an employee of a football club and if they choose to do something else in the meantime and if I\u2019m not wanted, I believe greatly enough in my own ability and in myself as a person to say \u2018hang on, if you don\u2019t want me at this football club, I\u2019ll have to re-evaluate my options\u2019.\u201d<\/p>\n As for the future of Newcastle, Barton sounded pessimistic, but said he hoped to be proved wrong in the future.<\/p>\n He added: \u201cSome of the things that are going on at the football club makes you just question it a little bit, but you\u2019ve got to believe in the process, believe in the plan and believe that the manager knows what he\u2019s doing and the Chairman knows what he\u2019s doing, the owner knows what he\u2019s doing.<\/p>\n \u201cThey could be doing the best moves ever and only in a year\u2019s time or 18 month\u2019s time will we know that.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n