The Burnley midfielder Joey Barton was banned last week for 18 months after admitting to placing 1,260 bets over a 10-year period, many of those after FA regulations on betting were tightened up.

Barton intends to appeal against the severity of the ban, even though the FA's written reasons indicated 18 months was the "shortest possible" available to them.

He would be 36 by the time he is eligible to return in late 2018 and Barton's statement after the ban was handed down said it "effectively forces me into an early retirement from playing football."

But Barton posted details of an 8.7km run on Twitter this morning and wrote: "I was the one who dedicated my life to forge this career. Therefore, I will be the one to call time on it."

Need a VPN? Or seeking to switch? Then support Tribal Football by clicking here to sign up with our official partners NordVPN. Not only will you receive the best VPN experience, but also great discounts by signing up via Tribal Football. Thanks for your support!