Joey Barton has blasted Manchester City and Pep Guardiola’s treatment of Joe Hart as ‘disgusting’.

Hart has been left out of City’s first two games under new manager Guardiola with the Spaniard having already seemingly made up his mind to bring in a new goalkeeper.

His Etihad exile has stunned his former teammate Barton, who insists the 29-year-old England number one deserves to be shown more respect given the outstanding decade-long service he has given the club.

The Rangers midfielder, who made 130 appearances for City between 2002 and 2007, told talkSPORT: “It is not the club I left.

“The club I left and watch now are two totally different organisations. The club I played for wouldn’t have treated a player that has been a servant for as long as Joe has in the manner that it has. It is disgusting.

“He is a full international, somebody who, probably before City took the money, could have gone on to bigger and better things himself but stayed and wanted to be at City.

“I don’t see what he has done wrong to be treated the way he has. His attitude isn’t terrible. I don’t like this.

“It is common human decency, regardless of how good a coach you are. Why treat him like that?”

Guardiola is understood to harbour doubts about Hart’s ability with the ball at his feet and looks to have earmarked Barcelona’s Claudio Bravo as his new first-choice goalkeeper, with reports that a £21m deal is imminent.

But Barton believes Hart deserves to be given a chance under the ex-Barca boss, and cannot understand why he is behind Willy Caballero in the pecking order.

“I’ve watched Caballero and are you telling me Caballero is better with his feet than Joe Hart? I haven’t seen it,” he continued.

“Why not let him fight for his place and then if he is not good enough say: ‘I have given him an opportunity’. That’s what every manager should do, give everyone an opportunity.”