Joey Barton doubles down in attack on Lionesses hero goalkeeper Mary Earps – insisting he would score ‘1,000 out of 1,000 penalties against her’… and that women’s football’s best teams would not survive in the men’s fifth tier

Joey Barton has renewed his attack on England star Mary Earps, insisting he would score ‘1,000 out of 1,000 penalties’ against the Lionesses goalkeeper in his latest tirade against women’s football.

The former Man City and Newcastle midfielder has been intensely criticised over the past few months for a series of sexist jibes against women, who he claims ‘aren’t qualified’ to talk about men’s football. 

His verbal attacks have also extended to the current players, with Earps a regular target.

Speaking on the latest episode of his his Common Sense with Joey Barton podcast, the former Premier League player chastised Earp’s performance in Manchester United Women’s 3-1 defeat against Arsenal Women’s on Saturday.

‘I famously said I’d have scored 100 out of 100 penalties against her and I must admit I was wrong,’ he said.

Barton claimed he would score 1,000 out of 1,000 penalties against Earps

Earps conceded three times as United lost to Arsenal in the WSL on Saturday

‘I have to take that back. First time ever. World exclusive, I was wrong. I would actually have scored 1,000 out of a 1,000 penalties with my left foot against her.’

Barton went on to claim the England goalkeeper would not get ‘anywhere near’ his penalties. 

‘She won’t get near any penalty,’ he said.

‘She couldn’t get out of the middle of the goal for Beth Mead’s penalty [against Arsenal], so she’s got no a hope in hell of getting a glove to any of mine.

‘And they tell me this is the best woman goalkeeper in the world.’

Earps, who was part of England’s victorious Euros squad in 2022, helped the Lionesses reach Women’s World Cup final last year and was voted the best goalkeeper in the tournament.

The United star finished fifth in the voting for last year’s women’s Ballon d’Or award and was named BBC Sports Personality of the Year in December.

Barton watched Barcelona vs Atletico Madrid on Sunday (above) but was not impressed

He insisted the best women’s teams would struggle in the National League against their male counterparts

Barton, who won a solitary cap for England compared to Earps’ 47 for the Lionesses, initially congratulated her on the award.

But he soon performed a U-turn in a series of posts hitting out at a ‘culture of snowflakes’, insisting Earps had ‘not won a sausage’ last year and that horse racing legend Frankie Dettori or snooker star Ronnie O’Sullivan were more deserving of recognition.

Barton said he watched Barcelona’s game against Atletico Madrid on Sunday, but insisted the best teams in women’s football would struggle to avoid relegation in the National League.

‘Barcelona are the best women’s team and the highest-paid [team in the world], but they wouldn’t win the Conference [as the National League was known until 2015],’ he said

‘They wouldn’t stay up in the Conference. Any women’s team I watch wouldn’t stay up in the Conference.’

Barton has been widely condemned – including by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak – for his attacks on female football pundits, which included comparing ITV’s Eni Aluko and Lucy Ward to serial killers Fred and Rose West.

Last month, Britain’s sports minister Stuart Andrew vowed to put pressure on social media companies in the wake of Barton’s ‘dangerous and disgusting comments’.

But Earps believes the sexist views espoused by the former Bristol Rovers and Fleetwood Town manager are sadly ‘reflective of society’.

Earps was named BBC Sports Personality of the Year in December 

The England star was named best Women’s Goalkeeper in the world last month

In an interview with the March issue of Women’s Health UK magazine, Earps, 30, backed comments by Chelsea Women boss Emma Hayes – indirectly addressing Barton’s remarks – that women’s football is ‘routinely used to dealing with systemic misogyny.’

The Lionesses star said: ‘Sport is a vehicle for change, but it’s also a representation of society.

‘The comments on that [a video of Hayes speaking] are really telling. This isn’t just what one person thinks, this is what people across the country think – probably in the world.

‘And that’s the biggest disappointment to me.’