Barton goes barmy at Becks on Twitter

Footballer Joey Barton is no stranger to a Twitter row and now the Queens Park Rangers midfielder is certainly racking up enemies from his fellow footballers after launching a vicious online tirade against David Beckham, claiming his new underwear range was made in a ‘sweat shop.’

Now UNICEF ambassador Beckham has hit back at Barton, claiming his rants are those of a ‘madman.’

Barton, 28, unleashed his Twitter fury after watching Beckham’s H&M advert during the Super Bowl and wrote online: ‘Not a****d if they’re Beckham’s or not. 9.99 pounds for a pair of gruds for H and M (sic) is an outrage.’

He added: ‘Do one, Becks. They cost about 1p to make in a sweat shop in the Third World, Is there no limit to what ‘Brand Beckham’ will endorse for a pound note?’

A spokesman for the LA Galaxy player insisted to the Daily Star that the range was being made ‘under the strictest ethical guidelines.

He added anyone who accused Beckham of using child labour was a ‘madman’.

H&M has refused to say which factory in China they were using for the underwear range but the High Street chain said workers were given ‘at least the statutory minimum wage.’

Barton, who has more than a million followers on Twitter and is renowned for his outspoken comments, used the medium to make a series of comments about John Terry’s charge of allegedly racially abusing Anton Ferdinand.

Terry, who was stripped of the England captaincy last week, denies the charge and will stand trial in July.

Barton, who has more than a million Twitter followers has previously spoken about his right to free speech, through Twitter.

He wrote: ‘I will gladly go to jail for a month in the name of free speech. I have no problem with what I said.

‘Make me a martyr. What are they going to do, put everyone who exercises freedom of speech in jail? They’ll (sic) be a revolution, if they try that.’