Queens Park Rangers player Joey Barton has reportedly been hailed as a 'genius' following his 'inspirational' speech to students of the Oxford University.
The football star spoke about philosophy, social media and his footballing past in an hour-long talk at the Oxford Union debating society.
According to the Daily Star, although the QPR midfielder - known for his opinionated Twitter rants - was a controversial choice of guest for the club and was even dubbed a 'thug' by members for his record of violence both on and off the pitch, however, he won praise for his talk from several students in the audience.
One of the students said that the speech was 'somewhat inspirational' and called him a 'genius' while another said that the player is 'insightful' and 'generally great'.
Barton chose a dressed-down look for his appearance, sporting trainers and a T-shirt featuring singer Bob Dylan, the report added.
