Bristol Rovers manager Joey Barton has rapped Manchester United boss Ralf Rangnick and Liverpool's Jurgen Klopp over claims they won't sign unvaccinated players.

Former Newcastle midfielder was keen to state publicly that he is not of the same view.

"Can I just say, on the record, I've seen managers - Liverpool, Man United - saying they won't sign unvaccinated players, I'll let you know we'll definitely sign unvaccinated players. We just want good players," Barton told BristolLive.

"And I know there's loads of conjecture about whether players are getting jabbed. For me you've got to be careful about telling people what to do. If lads don't want to do it, they don't want to do it.

"Most lads I know are doing it. But also there are some people who just don't want to. And you have to respect that.

"We have to be mindful, there are going to be loads of good players who for whatever reason don't want to take a chance, for whatever reason; their research and information they've garnered and the risk posed to them. I think it's wrong for people to come out and say they wouldn't do this, and they wouldn't do that. Categorically, we just want to sign good players.

"Whether or not they're vaccinated or not is their choice - like their religion, or sex, or whatever they choose to do. You've got to respect that and be careful not to pressurise players to do something they don't want to do.

"They should come to that natural run of events, I don't think it should be football managers coming out and pressurising young men into potentially life-changing decisions."