Bristol Rovers manager Joey Barton has sent a message to Newcastle United ahead of their return to the Champions League.
During his playing career, Barton spent time with the Magpies.
The Magpies will meet AC Milan in the Champions League for the first time in 20 years on Tuesday night at San Siro, and they will have at least one Football League supporter in the form Joey Barton.
How did Barton fare during his time at Newcastle?
Barton joined Newcastle from Manchester City in the summer of 2007 for a reputed £5.8 million.
The midfielder played four years with the Magpies, appearing in 84 games in all competitions and scoring eight goals.
He left the club four years after arriving at St James’ Park, moving to QPR on a free transfer in August 2011.
However, it appears that the now 41-year-old, who retired from playing in 2017 and is currently managing Bristol Rovers in League One, is still eager to see Newcastle succeed on the greatest of platforms.
What did Barton have to say about Newcastle’s re-entry into the Champions League?
Newcastle have, of course, qualified for the Champions League group stages after finishing third in the Premier League last season.
The Magpies will compete in European football’s elite club competition for the first time since the 2003/04 season.
Eddie Howe’s side will kick off their European campaign in Italy on Tuesday night, when they face last season’s semi-finalists, AC Milan.
This season’s group also includes French champions Paris Saint-Germain and last season’s Bundesliga rummers-up, Borussia Dortmund.
With Newcastle obviously eager to publicize their return to the Champions League on social media, Barton was quick to send a word of support to his former team.
In response to one of Newcastle’s posts on X (previously known as Twitter) on Tuesday night’s match against AC Milan,
