Former Manchester City and England footballer Joey Barton is known for making bold statements, and his latest comments have caused a stir online.

Speaking on the Common Sense Podcast, Barton claimed that no African defender has ever been as good as former Liverpool star Jamie Carragher. His statement came as a defense of Carragher, who had earlier faced criticism for saying that the Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) was not a major tournament.

“Can anybody out there, as much as all the Afrikanos have had a pop at Carragher for saying what he said.”

“There’s no better defender come from Africa than Jamie Carragher. Africa have never produced a better defender than Jamie Carragher.”

Carragher later admitted that his choice of words was poor and clarified his comments. However, Barton’s remarks have sparked further debate, with many football fans disagreeing with his opinion.