Newcastle United's controversial midfielder Joey Barton has revealed that he has reconciled with former boss Alan Shearer after the pair were involved in an ugly dressing room bust-up last season.

Barton, 27, has dominated the front page headlines more than he has the back in recent years, with his off the field behaviour regularly getting him into trouble with the law.

He was infamously charged in 2008 for assaulting his former Manchester City team-mate Ousmane Dabo during a training ground bust-up in 2007.

The Liverpudlian was then sent to prison earlier this year after being found guily of causing grevious bodily harm to a teenager in Liverpool city centre last December, but was released after serving 74 days of a six-month sentence.

Despite his dalliances with the law, Barton controversially returned to the Newcastle first-team last season, only to make the headlines for all the wrong reasons once again after being sent off in a crucial Premier League clash against Liverpool.

The dismissal for the unnecessary cynical challenge on Reds' defender Jamie Carragher, infuriated then caretaker boss Shearer, who clashed with Barton in the dressing room after the game.

Emotions were running high and Alan was disappointed; Things went on in the dressing room and it's well documented certain things were said," Barton told BBC Radio Five.

Despite the well publicised fall out, the former Manchester City ace has declared he holds no grudges against England legend Shearer following a chance meeting at a racecourse in which the pair both had runners in the race.

"We've both seen each other since and we've both been very civil about it.

"I'm fine with it, I've got a lot of respect for Alan. I was never going to get in a war of words with him, I have too much respect for him.

"We had a disagreement but we are both grown men and you get on with it. Nothing was said that anyone was going to lose sleep over," he concluded.