Joey Barton starting a philosophy degree? That's great, says Harry Redknapp

QPR manager pleased midfielder is keeping his head down

Joey Barton has started a philosophy degree

Joey Barton now has a lot more to ponder than whether that last yellow card was deserved.

The midfielder will be seeking to answer the unanswerable after starting a philosophy degree at Roehampton University, a move which his proud manager at Queens Park Rangers, Harry Redknapp, has described as "great".

Barton is no stranger to quoting the musings of his favoured Friedrich Nietzsch on Twitter, and will now compete with Eric Cantona, he of seagulls and trawlers, to become football's greatest philosopher.

"Off to my first lecture this afternoon. Eyes peeled, ears open, brain engaged...," Barton revealed to his 2.3 million followers on the social networking site yesterday.

The 31-year-old is now back with relegated QPR after a season in France on loan with Marseilles following the completion of a 12-match ban for violent conduct in a 2012 Premier League match against Manchester City.

"Good luck to him," Redknapp, whose side lead the Championship by three points, told reporters. "If it's going to help him in the future, with whatever he wants to do with his life, great."

"I'd rather he'd been studying than doing something else. It sounds a good idea. If it makes him happy, keeps him being a good person. He's not been a problem, he's been great here this year," he said.