Joey Barton has revealed that he has rejoined the Burnley players' private WhatsApp group as he continues to train with the squad.

The 34-year-old helped the Clarets to promotion to the Premier League as champions last season before moving to Scotland over the summer with Rangers, which ended with his contract being terminated after just eight games due to off-the-field issues.

Barton has since been training as a free agent with his former side ahead of a possible deal to rejoin the first team in the top flight.

"I've been allowed back into the WhatsApp group," Barton told BBC Sport. "Heats (captain Tom Heaton) put me in. I didn't want to go back in but he was like 'no, you're back training at the training ground so it's important you go back in'. I don't have that much interaction with it because I feel you've got to earn your stripes out on the training pitch first."

Asked how hard it had been to leave Burnley after their Championship-winning season, he added: "Incredibly tough. You share a bond with the lads. You look at it now and I don't think anybody will go 23 unbeaten in the Championship because it's a tough league. People forget the nature of a 46-game season. That league's strong again because of the nature of some of the teams that have dropped into it and the financial powers of some of the other sides in there.

"We go 23 unbeaten with Burnley and end up winning the league, then I go up to Scotland and play eight games. In the calendar year I've only lost one game, which happened to be the Old Firm at Celtic. So I'm unbeaten for 30 competitive games. I'm copping a bit of flak everywhere, but internally I'm thinking 'I can't be that bad at football, regardless of what the Scottish media are saying about me'."

Barton last played in the Premier League in May 2015 with Queens Park Rangers.