Joey Barton says Newcastle United is the perfect club for him.

Barton told ZOO Magazine: "When you go to a new club, you want to get out there and say to the fans: 'This is what I'm about'. Because of the delay, expectations have risen and people are really waiting to see if I'm up to it.

"It's sink-or-swim time - especially at a club like Newcastle and a ground like St James' Park. It's like a coliseum. If you don't play well, it's like Roman times - thumbs down.

"Newcastle is like Liverpool, football mad. Manchester is a bit metropolitan now. A bit la-di-da. A bit like London. In Newcastle, you get off the train and there's the stadium, bang.

"In Manchester, it's all about style and everyone is bothered about what they look like. The girls are like peacocks. In Newcastle, it's all about the black and white jersey. This place isn't about fashion, this city is about football.

"I went for dinner after a game with my brother. I could hear fans talking and despite the fact we'd won, they discussed where the team had gone wrong. Imagine what they're like when we lose!"