Former midfielder Joey Barton back training with the Clarets

Clarets player of the year Joey Barton has taken up an offer to train with his former club.

Barton left Turf Moor in the summer after helping win the Championship title, turning down a new deal to take up a new challenge north of the border at Rangers.

However, he left Ibrox last week after a difficult time in the SPL, where he was suspended over a training ground row in September, after a 5-1 Old Firm Derby defeat at Celtic.

After only eight appearances, his contract was terminated, and while he is unable to officially join a new club until the transfer window opens on January 1st, Sean Dyche last week

revealed he has left the door open to train back at the Barnfield Training Centre with Burnley, although there are no guarantees beyond that.

Barton would also have to serve a one-match ban with his new club after breaking Scottish Football Association rules on gambling.

Dyche said this morning: "Joey has been in with us training, with us, to get himself fit, not with the first team.

"Beyond that, anything else is for the future, he's just getting himself fit."