Warren Barton

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Warren Barton
Personal information
Full name Warren Barton
Date of birth March 19, 1969 (age 38)
Place of birth    London, England
Playing position Defender
Senior clubs1
Years Club App (Gls)*
1989–90
1990–95
1995–2001
2001–03
2003–04
2003–04
2004–05
Maidstone United
Wimbledon
Newcastle United
Derby County
Queens Park Rangers
Wimbledon (loan)
Dagenham and Redbridge
Total
042 0(0)
180 (10)
164 0(4)
054 0(0)
003 0(0)
005 0(0)
002 0(0)
450 (14)   
National team
1995–96 England 003 0(0)

1 Senior club appearances and goals
counted for the domestic league only.
* Appearances (Goals)

Warren Barton (born March 19, 1969 in Stoke Newington,London) is a former English football player.

He began his league career with Maidstone United, who swapped him for three players and a manager, John Still. All three players, plus Still, chose not to turn professional following the club's promotion to the football league in 1989 (Still later changed his mind and managed Peterborough United and Barnet).

It was soon clear that Barton was far too classy for the third division, although he did show signs of defensive frailties. Moving forward at speed up the flank with the ball, Barton was a constant threat to defences because, given the chance to put the ball into the box, his accuracy was unerving.

Barton was transferred to Wimbledon in 1990 for £300,000, a UK record fee for a third division player at the time, one year before Maidstone went bankrupt. During his time at Wimbledon he was instrumental in keeping them in the Premiership, and quickly became one of the most highly-rated defenders in England. However, Barton had the most successful spell of his career with the Dons after they moved him into midfield, where that accurate passing provided many goals for the crazy gang's forwards.

In 1995 he became the most expensive defender in English football when he moved to Newcastle United for £4million. Everything looked rosy for Barton, and a few England caps followed; however, despite his classy, comfortable style on the ball, he always remained prone to embarrassing blunders and lapses of concentration at the back, and for the first time in his career, Barton found himself under fire by the time he was moved on to Derby County. Barton was briefly loaned back to Wimbledon before retiring as a player in 2004.

Warren Barton ended his playing days where he began, with Dagenham & Redbridge in the 2004/2005 season and now coaches the Conference side during the week, working as a TV pundit at the weekend. He also runs a travel agency.

[edit] Clubs