Monday 26 September 2016 17:46, UK
Graeme Souness is keen to see Rangers and Joey Barton resolve their issues as the midfielder continues his three-week club suspension.
Sunday's 2-1 defeat to Aberdeen means Mark Warburton's team have picked up just nine points from their opening seven Premiership fixtures this season, with Barton also banished from Ibrox and the training ground for the time being following a row with team-mate Andy Halliday and his manager.
The 34-year-old maintains he has no plans to quit the club and former Rangers boss Souness believes his experience could prove vital to a side looking to find some consistency.
"Joey has played at a high level, he's played in the Premier League. We were doing some TV work for the Euros together in Dublin during the summer. When he spoke about football he was very, very knowledgeable," Souness said.
"He spoke very well and he expressed his real desire to be a coach or a manager one day. He is 34, you would like to think he is in a position now where he is capable of helping some of the young guys that he is playing with.
"Rangers do have a young team and they would need that help from senior players. I am a great believer in football clubs, you've only got a chance of doing well when you have good senior pros.
"Do I hope it does get resolved? Most certainly, because he has something to offer. He has something to offer football."
However, Souness is adamant that if Barton is to re-join Warburton's squad, the former Newcastle and Manchester City player will have to learn to toe the line.
"I can't comment on what happened because I don't know," Souness said. "I have met Joey and I have found him to be charming, intelligent, a football nut and I know he was desperate to come here and do well.
"But somehow he has got himself into this predicament and I like to think that the manager, who seems to be a calm and level-headed human being, will resolve it and get the best out of Joey Barton because he certainly still has a lot to offer Rangers in terms of playing football.
"But it has to be on the manager's terms - not on Joey's."
