Last week, it was announced that Jimmy Dunne had departed Fleetwood Town and returned to Burnley midway through what was scheduled to be a season-long loan.
Fleetwood Joey Barton now says the decision was taken as the 22-year-old defender had "crossed a line".
"It’s another thing that will stay in the confines of the football club, another discipline breach in our opinion," Barton told the Blackpool Gazette.
Something that is non-negotiable for us. A lesson that needs to be learned for a young player.
Jim did great, had a couple of good performances and scored a couple of good goals, but some things are just non-negotiable and he crossed a line for us.
Dunne, an Ireland U21 international, joined Fleetwood in September in what was the fifth loan move of his career.
He spent time with Sunderland and Hearts last year, along with Accrington and Barrow in the 2017/18 season.
Dunne played managed nine times for Fleetwood in League One, scoring once. The club currently sits seventh in the table.
"Unfortunately for us we decided we didn’t want to renew his loan and that we are going to go in a different direction," Barton continued.
"We’ve just decided to change direction, there was a line crossed; for our dressing room it was impossible for it to continue.
"I always speak to my dressing room because they are the football club. The players are the ones who go out and they’re in the trenches.
"They have to be sure that everyone is facing the same direction and they’re not going to get a sideswipe.
"We have to clear that up, that has been dealt with and we move forward.
"That has left us with a deficit of players. You would have to say we’re not as strong as where we started the season, we are aware of that."
Picture credit: Sportsfile
