Allardyce and Carvalhal wish Joey Barton luck on new venture
Swansea's Carlos Carvalhal and Everton's Sam Allardyce have weighed in on Joey Barton's "biggest challenge" to date as he delves into the world of football coaching.
Barton has had a somewhat controversial career, and played under Allardyce at Newcastle United for under a season. His former manager wished him well on his new venture.
Allardyce said: ''I think he was too young at that time [at Newcastle], he was more concerned about playing [than coaching], but as time has gone on you have seen him evolve into someone who has a big opinion and he wants to put that to the test on how to manage a football club.''
He added: ''I think he is very fortunate he has got that opportunity because there are so many highly-qualified coaches and managers out there and there are only 92 jobs in the league, so it is a very privileged position and he needs to grasp it with both hands and good luck to him.''
The current Everton boss noted: ''It will be nice to see Joey sitting behind the desk. Good luck to him, he has taken on a big challenge. We will see in the next few months whether he can be a manager who progresses through the leagues and moves forward or not.''
Swansea head coach Carlos Carvalhal admitted, that for his part, Barton's divisive character will be a refreshing addition to the world of football managers.
The Portuguese coach said: ''I wish him the best of luck and I will be interested to follow him because he's a very nice and controversial personality. I like this kind of person and if he brings something new and fresh to the competition that is good.''
Carvalhal also warned: ''It is different to be a manager than a footballer. It is a big change and he will understand that after one month. Some ex-players deal with it better than others and I hope he will have a good career.''