Former England footballer Joey Barton has appeared in court accused of sending offensive social media messages to broadcaster Jeremy Vine and ex England Lioness Lucy Ward.

The father-of-four, 42, spoke in court only to give his name and date of birth at the 20-minute hearing at Liverpool Crown Court. 

The ex Manchester City and Newcastle United midfielder is accused of sending communications of an indecent or grossly offensive nature on social media platform X to Ms Ward and Mr Vine between January and March last year, with the intention of causing distress or anxiety.

The hearing on Thursday dealt largely with administrative matters which cannot be reported ahead of a trial.

Judge Andrew Menary KC, Recorder of Liverpool, renewed unconditional bail for Barton and ordered a further pre-trial preparation hearing on March 14.

Barton, of Widnes, Cheshire, is separately set to go on trial in May accused of sending malicious communications to football pundit Eni Aluko. 

It comes after District Judge Tanweer Ikram previously granted Barton unconditional bail last month ahead of the hearing scheduled for today.

According to the charges, the messages – sent on X, formerly known as Twitter – intended to cause distress and anxiety.

Barton is alleged to have sent them to football commentator Ms Ward between 3 and 8 January 2024 and to Mr Vine between 9 January and 20 March.

The 42-year-old tweeted after Ward and her colleague Eni Aluko appeared as pundits on ITV for an FA Cup match between Crystal Palace and Everton on 4 January 2024, allegedly comparing them to serial killers Fred and Rose West. 

In a follow-up tweet, he compared Aluko to Joseph Stalin and Pol Pot, an earlier court hearing was told.

Vine previously sued Barton for libel and harassment over nine X posts, including one falsely calling the BBC Radio 2 presenter a ‘big bike nonce’.

They settled the claim after Barton, who made one England appearance as a substitute in a 2007 friendly against Spain and was most recently manager of League One Bristol Rovers FC, posted two apologies and paid damages and Vine’s legal costs.

Barton, who married fashion designer Georgia McNeil in 2019, previously pleaded not guilty to a charge of malicious communications over the incident with Eluko but is due to stand trial in May.

It comes as Barton also stands accused of assaulting his 38-year-old wife at their home in Kew, south-west London in June 2021, where they had been drinking with two other couples while their children slept upstairs.

He is alleged to have drunk up to five bottles of wine before launching an assault on Mrs Barton, leaving her with a ‘golf-sized’ lump on her head and a bloody nose, a court heard on January 24. He denies the allegation.