Rangers have no doubt come under fire of late as a result of their recruitment record in recent years, although any of the new arrivals under Giovanni van Bronckhorst will have to go someway if they are to make a worse impact at Ibrox than that of Joey Barton.

The polarising midfielder was plucked by then-Gers boss Mark Warburton on a free transfer back in 2016, having helped Sean Dyche's Burnley secure promotion back to the Premier League the year prior.

That stint at Turf Moor had showcased the on-field talent of the Englishman, as he was ultimately named in the Championship Team of the Year as a result of his fine performances, with the Glasgow side subsequently taking the gamble to bring the ageing figure to the club.

Such a move had come with obvious risk as a result of the former Newcastle United man's reputation throughout his career, having been at the centre of controversies both off the field and on it, with his infamous fiery temper regularly getting him into trouble.

Those demons would come back to haunt him during his time in Scotland, although prior to his ultimate demise the Liverpool-born playmaker had made headlines after suggesting he wanted to be the "best player in the country" upon his arrival.

That prophecy proved more of an albatross than anything as the 5 foot 9 dud almost instantly set himself up to fail, as he went on to make just eight appearances for the club in what was a dismal spell north of the border.

The £20k-per-week maverick notably underwhelmed in his one and only Old Firm clash, as Warburton's men were on the receiving end of a 5-1 thrashing from Brendan Rodgers' relentless Celtic outfit.

As with his earlier statement, Barton had stolen the headlines prior to the match after suggesting that Hoops skipper Scott Brown was "nowhere near" his quality as a player, only to then go on to lose out in the battle against the ferocious Scotsman.

That measly start to life at Ibrox then got even worse as the one-time Manchester City man was handed a six-week suspension as a result of an altercation with teammate Andy Halliday, with the club subsequently opting to cut ties just a matter of months in his time with the Gers, having originally signed a two-year deal.

Following that "failure" - in the words of pundit Kris Boyd - Barton only served to make matters worse with regards to his relationship with Rangers following his explosive comments regarding his time there last year, with the typically opinionated figure seemingly blaming everyone but himself for his woes.

Indeed, speaking of Warburton, the former midfielder noted he was "miles out of it" when it came to galvanising a group of players.

Although it takes some doing, the current Bristol Rovers boss made even a free transfer appear a real costly error.