Former Rangers striker Kris Boyd has labelled Joey Barton "a disgrace" after the midfielder was handed a three-week suspension by the Glasgow giants.

After his involvement in an altercation with teammate Andy Halliday, Barton now finds himself out of contention at Ibrox and it is unclear whether he will represent the club again.

The controversy surrounding the 33-year-old has coincided with the release of his autobiography, and Boyd thinks that the former Burnley midfielder has used the club in order to gain more publicity for his book.

In his column with the Scottish Sun, the 33-year-old said: "In my book he's a disgrace.

"He's used Rangers and their supporters from the second he walked through the front door. His conduct leaves me sick to my stomach and I urge all Ibrox fans to leave his hardback to gather dust on the shelves.

"For me he only came here as a PR stunt, intent on creating a media circus. It's made some great copy but I find his behaviour nothing short of appalling. He's deliberately antagonised people at Rangers and at other clubs just to get himself in the headlines."

Barton also finds himself in hot water with the Scottish Football Association after it was alleged that he broke betting regulations by placing a bet on the Champions League fixture between Barcelona and Celtic.