Premier League
Brentford Striker, Ivan Toney Celebrates ‘Freedom’ After Betting Ban Suspension
English professional footballer who currently plays for Brentford, Ivan Toney, has been liberated after serving a suspension over betting.
The 27-year-old striker has expressed his sense of liberation as he declined to dismiss the idea of a lucrative transfer following the conclusion of his eight-month suspension on Wednesday.
Sportxparte reports that Toney had been serving his ban for violating the gambling regulations set by the English Football Association, and now he is poised to make his comeback in Brentford’s upcoming Premier League match against Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
To commemorate the end of his suspension, the striker took to social media on Wednesday and shared a GIF featuring a man triumphantly raising his arms, accompanied by the caption “free!” at the bottom of the image.
Prior to Brentford’s FA Cup third-round replay defeat against Wolves on Tuesday, manager Thomas Frank affirmed that Toney would be fully prepared and focused for Saturday’s game.
However, Toney has been the subject of speculation linking him to both Arsenal and Chelsea during the transfer window, and he acknowledged that the prospect of joining one of these Premier League powerhouses is enticing.
When asked if now is not the appropriate time to depart from Brentford, Toney responded to Sky Sports, saying, “Well, I cannot say for certain. The right moment to pursue opportunities elsewhere is always unpredictable.
“It’s obvious I’d like to play for a top club, everybody wants to play for the top clubs, fighting for titles and these kinds of things.
“So whether it’s this January for a club to come in and pay the right money, who knows?
“But my main focus is doing what I do on the pitch and let the background work take care of itself.”
Reports are that Frank wants to keep Toney at least until the end of the season.
“It’s a team he’s really enjoying being part of, with some good mates, enjoying their football together, enjoying playing for Brentford and for the fans,” Frank is quoted to have said.
“We’ve done everything we can to help him through this. We’d like to keep him, but we know how football is,” Goal quoted Frank saying.
Toney’s most recent competitive game took place on May 6, when Brentford suffered a 1-0 defeat against Liverpool. However, since September, he has been granted permission to train alongside his teammates.
In March of last year, he made his debut for the England national team during a victory in the European Championship qualifiers against Ukraine. Throughout his time at Brentford, Toney has managed to score an impressive 32 goals in 66 appearances in the Premier League.
Additionally, Toney faced the consequences for his actions, as he was fined £50,000 ($63,000) and received a warning regarding his future behaviour due to 232 violations of the FA’s betting regulations.
Despite being diagnosed as a gambling addict, Toney remains optimistic that he has successfully overcome this habit.
“Sometimes you just don’t realise what you’re doing in the moment. It’s sorted out now,” the player said.
“I’ve spoken to people about it and it’s all sorted now, so I’ll focus on doing the right thing. I’ll do none of that rubbish now, it’s all good.”
