Newcastle's Barton released from prison

Newcastle United midfielder Joey Barton was released from jail on Monday after serving 2-1/2 months of a six-month sentence for attacking a teenager last year.

The 25-year-old, who has played once for England, left Strangeways prison in Manchester on Monday after serving 74 days for the attack. He was driven off in a silver Land Rover.

The attack in Liverpool last December was captured on CCTV cameras.

Barton admitted assault and affray in April for the attack, which was branded a "violent and cowardly act" by a judge.

Earlier this month Barton was back in court and given a four-month sentence, suspended for two years, for assaulting team mate Ousmane Dabo when they were both at Manchester City in May 2007.

Newcastle United manager Kevin Keegan said on Sunday that Barton still had a future with the club. On Monday Gordon Taylor, the chief executive of the Professional Footballers' Association, said he welcomed Keegan's decision to give Barton a second chance.

Taylor told the BBC: "To some extent I'm glad that he still has some faith in him. Joey's been running out of last chances.

"From that point of view it may have been the time when Newcastle would have said 'we can't stand for this' and move him on but hopefully Kevin thinks he can work his oracle with Joey and Joey will get his life back on track both as a human being and as a footballer."