When people talk about my dark days, when I sit down and think about it - the misdemeanours I've had, with the things that go on in the real world, - the things I have done are stupid and foolish. But they are not war crimes. That's what gets me. When footballers are on the front page and on page seven is something about soldiers dying or floods or the real tragedies in this world, I ask myself how we can justify that.
Barton questioning whether modern-day footballers receive too much media coverage.. Barton slams the players who just don't try. Daily Mail (August 8, 2007). Retrieved on 2007-08-15..