Toney To Captain Brentford On Return From Betting Ban

Ivan Toney is set to return to football action with Brentford against Nottingham Forest this Saturday, following the end of his eight-month suspension for violating gambling regulations.

The 27-year-old striker was also fined £50,000 ($63,000) and was warned about his future conduct after being found guilty of 232 breaches of the Football Association’s betting rules.

Toney, who last played competitively in Brentford’s 1-0 loss to Liverpool on May 6, expressed his relief over the end of his suspension through a social media post featuring a GIF captioned “free!”.

During his ban, Toney was permitted to train with his teammates from September.

In a move signalling support and confidence, Brentford’s manager, Thomas Frank, announced that Toney would captain the team in his comeback match.

Frank told reporters on Friday, “He (Toney) is buzzing. He’s very committed and excited. He can’t wait.

“He will start tomorrow and he will lead the team out as Christian Norgaard is injured.”

“Despite the ban’s damaging effect on Brentford, who are just three points above the relegation zone, Frank hailed Toney’s leadership qualities and claimed he is the second-best striker in the Premier League.

“Not only this week, the last three-and-a-half years, he is a special character in many ways.

“He’s a fantastic person to be around myself, the staff, the players, the energy he brings, the smile, the positivity, every day at the training ground.

“On the pitch he wants to win, he wants to help the team, of course it’s a massive boost. It’s like a new signing.

“He’s the second-best striker in my opinion in the Premier League. Unbelievable commitment, he wants to go out there and help the team win.”

Toney has been linked with both Arsenal and Chelsea during the January transfer window and he did not rule out moving away from the west London outfit this month.

Speaking to Sky Sports ahead of the crucial clash with fellow strugglers Forest, Toney said, “Well I don’t know, you can never predict when is the right time to move elsewhere.

“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?”