SEAN Dyche said Joey Barton had been fantastic for Burnley ‘on and off the pitch’ but refused to say whether he would have the midfielder back if his time with Rangers doesn’t work out.

The 34-year-old is currently serving a three-week club suspension after a row with team-mate Andy Halliday and Gers boss Mark Warburton.

Barton’s Ibrox career could be coming to an end after just eight games for the Light Blues, although the controversial midfielder has insisted he wants to return to the club and said he would run from the challenge.

“It’s obviously private to Rangers from inside whatever has gone on,” said Dyche.

“The views on Joey, whether it’s different opinions from plenty of different people, I can only speak about my time with him and he was fantastic for us, on and off the pitch, inside the camp and outside the camp.

“That was with me, I can’t speak for others and what’s gone on since then.”

Barton was the model professional during his season at Turf Moor, in which he helped the Clarets to the Championship title and was voted supporters’ player of the year.

Asked the secret to handling Barton, Dyche said: “There’s no trick. Some situations fit together nicely and they did here, I can’t say whether they’re going to or not for Rangers.

“The last thing I saw he said of course he wants it to work there, but that’s for other people to decide and for his relationship with the management team there, that’s for them.

“We were thankful for what he did here and I think he enjoyed what he did here and he enjoyed the group he was working with, but he’s gone on to pastures new.”

Barton was offered the chance to stay at Burnley for their Premier League return this summer, but instead opted for a new challenge in Scotland and a two-year deal with Rangers.

“He made that choice, that wasn’t about us,” Dyche said of his decision to move at the end of his one-year Turf deal.

“There’s no angle between me and him or the club and him, he just felt it was a new challenge and it has turned out to be a new challenge and a big challenge, it’s a massive club who are working hard to get back to where they belong.”

Asked if he would take Barton back if his time at Ibrox doesn’t work out, Dyche said: “It’s nothing to do with me, he’s part of Rangers Football Club.”