Joey Barton thinks that Gary Neville should not have been added to the coaching staff of the England national football team.

According to Barton, Neville had fantastic playing skills and is brilliant in punditry as well, but, coaching is a different kettle of fish and to coach an international team, you must have past experience in that department which Neville doesn’t have.

Barton was being interviewed by a sports magazine yesterday. When he was asked about his thoughts on the appointment of Neville, he said, “I think it’s a wrong decision made by FA and it also suggests that England is lacking good coaches at the moment. You have given the job to somebody who has not done it at any level previously.”

“Everyone would take his hats off for the things that Gary has done as a player and he has gone pretty well about his punditry too on Sky, but, does that make him the most eligible candidate for that coaching role? I don’t think so.”

“Look, I don’t have personal grudges against anyone. I am just saying the truth. Your first coaching assignment can’t be with an international team. You’ve got to do it at a smaller level first before you take such a big job.”

“The poor coaching structure has a lot to do with England not being able to compete against the top international sides at big stages like the World Cup. You see they commit same sort of errors again and again. As a well wisher of English football, I am quite concerned at the moment.”

Barton has always been an outspoken character. Even when he was an active player, he was not shy of saying what he felt. So, it’s not a surprise that he put his opinions forward so strongly in that interview.