Newcastle suspend Joey Barton

Joey Barton was today suspended "until further notice" by Newcastle United in a move that looks set to signal the end to the controversial midfielder's career at the club.

The announcement followed reports of a dressing-room confrontation with temporary manager Alan Shearer in the wake of Sunday's 3-0 defeat by Liverpool at Anfield.

Shearer had publicly accused Barton of letting himself and the club down by getting himself sent off in the closing stages of the match for a reckless challenge on Xabi Alonso.

The red card ensured Barton will miss Newcastle's three remaining matches this season, which will determine whether or not the club keeps its place in the Premier League.

Barton (26) has missed most of this campaign through a combination of injury and suspension after being given a second chance at the club following two assault convictions last year.

The midfielder spent 74 days in prison for assaulting a 16-year-old in Liverpool city centre in December 2007 and received a fouth-month suspended sentence for a training ground attack on former Manchester City team-mate Ousmane Dabo, which left his victim with a fractured eye socket in April 2007.

The Football Association subsequently banned Barton for six matches over the Dabo assault, which was only one of the numerous violent incidents to have marred his career.

He was fined six weeks wages by Manchester City after stubbing a lit cigar into the eye of team-mate Jamie Tandy at a Christmas party in December 2004.

Then in July 2005 he was sent home from from the club's pre-season tour of Asia after being involved in an altercation with a 15-year-old Everton fan in a Bangkok hotel.

City's patience finally wore out as a result of the attack on Dabo and Barton was sold to Newcastle for 5.8 million pounds in 2007.

Almost immediately he suffered a broken foot bone and injuries, combined with his disciplinary and legal problems, have restricted him to just 32 appearances over the course of nearly two years at St James' Park.

The loss of Barton for the rest of the season leaves Newcastle, currently third from bottom of the table, short of midfield options for their remaining matches, at home to Middlesbrough and Fulham and away to Aston Villa.

And Newcastle legend Malcolm MacDonald said the midfielder should be offloaded immediately.

"The guy has continuously bought Newcastle United into disrepute," the former Magpies striker said. "It really isn't good enough. In the short time he has been at Newcastle, he has either been injured, in prison or in trouble. Enough is enough."

Given Barton's recent injury woes and his ability to attract trouble, it is not certain that Newcastle would find a buyer but the midfielder is a good enough player to have earned an England cap in 2007 and he does have his admirers, notably David Moyes.

The Everton boss attempted to sign Barton before he joined Newcastle.