Joey Barton has criticised the Football Association (FA) for failing to tackle the problem of gambling in football in an interview with the Sunday Times.
Barton was given an 18-month ban in April after admitting breaking FA rules by placing bets on 1,260 football matches, and will be 36 years old by the time he is eligible to return, something he says is now unlikely.
The midfielder, who has been released by Burnley following his ban, says the FA are not equipped to handle the widespread problems that gambling represents for professional footballers or the rehabilitation that many need to reform.