DISGRACED former Manchester city star Joey Barton was released from jail today.

The £40,000-a-week midfielder walked free from Strangeways at 11am after serving 74 days of a six-month sentence for beating up a teenager in a drunken attack in Liverpool city centre.

Barton, wearing jeans and a jumper, shook hands with a friend who was waiting outside the prison gates.

He made no comment to reporters before getting into a silver Land Rover and being driven off.

Barton pleaded guilty to assault and affray at Liverpool crown court and was jailed on May 20.

The court heard how he had punched a man to the ground and pummelled him up to 20 times in an attack caught on CCTV.

Moments later, the player attacked 16-year-old Jordan Spencer, punching him in the mistaken belief the youth had assaulted his cousin. The punch broke a number of Mr Spencer's teeth and, as it took place, a member of Barton's group was shouting: "Stamp on him, Joey, stamp on his head."

The court heard how Barton had been on a night out with friends and family and had consumed ten pints of lager and five bottles of lager before the attack, just after 5am on December 27.

His group became involved in a confrontation with a group of youths outside a McDonald's.

Barton has also been serving a four-month jail sentence - suspended for two years - after a separate conviction for a `ferocious' training ground attack on former Manchester City colleague Ousmane Dabo.

He was ordered to complete 200 hours and pay £3,000 compensation for that attack, which left Mr Dabo unconscious and bleeding on the ground.

Earlier this month it emerged that Barton, who left City in June 2007 in a £5.8m deal with Newcastle United, had lost a bid for early release.

He had asked to be fitted with an electronic `tag' and let out under curfew - but was told he would have to serve out his sentence in HMP Manchester.

Newcastle manager Kevin Keegan has pledged to take Barton back after his spell in jail.

"People have opinions, and you must respect those, but mine is to give him another chance and back him," said the former Blues boss. "There are a lot of things he needs to put right, but I think he can do it."