Saturday, 8th September, 2012
Joey Barton would like to follow in the footsteps of Chris Waddle at Marseille and become another Englishman remembered fondly by the Stade Velodrome faithful.
The 30-year-old midfielder has landed at Marseille on a season-long loan from Queens Park Rangers, though the 12-match ban he picked up in English football has followed him to France, meaning he cannot make his Ligue 1 debut until 18th November at the earliest, when his new side meet Bordeaux.
Waddle is another Englishman to have gone on the Marseille journey, with the then-England winger signing for the French giants in 1989, making the move from Tottenham Hotspur.
The winger stayed in France for three seasons, picking up the Ligue 1 title in every campaign and making a huge impression on Marseille.
Indeed, Waddle was voted the club’s second best player of the century, behind striker Jean-Pierre Papin.
And so, to taste just some of the success Waddle enjoyed at the Stade Velodrome, would delight Barton.
"Waddle must be the player that I aspire to learn from", Barton told Marseille’s official website.
"A winner of three league titles with my club Marseille – I would love to win just one!. He became a legend.
"Magic Chris was voted the second best player in the club’s history, so I’d love to have just a small part of his success and he is an example to follow.
"But I will leave the mullet", joked Barton.
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