Joey Barton reveals chilling death threat: 'I'll smash your head with a baseball bat'

QPR midfielder Joey Barton has revealed a death threat he received while playing in France for Marseille.

Barton spent almost the entire 2012-13 season in Ligue 1 with the south-coast club, and has posted on Twitter a picture of a vitriolic letter sent to him during his stint across the Channel.

The typed and undated letter is addressed to Barton at Marseille's training ground, La Commanderie, and warns Barton to leave France at the end of the campaign or face a grisly end.

Barton jokingly refers to the letter, written in broken English, as "fan mail". It reads:

A name and address for the purported sender of the letter is also included on the letter, which is signed.

Responding to the letter, Joey Barton said:

The one-cap England midfielder left France following his one season at Marseille and has returned to favour at QPR.

He had previously been marginalised following his conduct and dismissal in the final game of the 2011-12 season at Manchester City, where he was sent off and subsequently received a 12-match ban.