Published Monday, 26 November 2012
The often controversial midfielder made his Ligue 1 debut with the French side on Sunday, in their 1-0 victory over Lille at Stade Velodrome, following the expiry of his 12-game domestic ban.
"For me, I think ... uh ... my, my best position is ... uh ... deep-lying midfielder, you know?" Merseyside-born Barton told reporters, sounding bizarrely like English wasn't his first language.
Just a hint of his own accent crept through at times during the press conference, which must have left the local press baffled.
"In my defence, it is very difficult to do a press conference in Scouse for a room full of French journalists," Barton later tweeted.
"The alternative is to speak like an 'Allo Allo!' character ... It's simply a case of you had to be there."
The big question now is whether the pseudo-French accent will continue or if zis is something Barton will say only once ...