Brentford and England star Ivan Toney faces risk of being banned from football for breaching gambling regulations.
The embattled Three Lions forward was under FA investigations for breaching gambling regulations as a football player.
According to reports, Ivan Toney has pleaded guilty to many of the 262 charges issued by the FA, but has contested others.
By pleading guilty to some of the many charges, Toney is now set to be banned from playing in the Premier League. Some reports have confirmed that the ban may take effect sooner before the end of the season with the FA disciplinary hearing understood to be imminent.
Ivan Toney did not make Gareth Southgates’ England World Cup squad despite being called up for the UEFA Nations League games against Germany and Italy last year.
Southgate had admitted his omission from the World Cup squad was not influenced by the FA charges and investigations on the striker. He added Toney was omitted because he trained poorly during the call-up for the Nations League.
However, Ivan Toney was still in top shape for Brentford in the Premier League amidst Southgate’s concern on his integration with the Three Lions squad.
After the World Cup, some English pundits have tipped Toney to return to the Three Lions squad for the UEFA European Championship qualifiers after Southgate missed two of his top choice strikers, Calum Wilson and Raheem Sterling, who were struggling with injuries.
Now, the Brentford forward is hitting another deathknell in his England national team career due to the latest developments on the gambling charges by the FA.
From 2017 to 2021, Ivan Toney came under the sledgehammer of the FA for breaching gambling regulations on his football betting behavior as a player. He was slammed with 232 charges, with additional 30 charges, which racked up his number of charges to 262.
Throughout the period of the charges, Ivan Toney was plying his trade for various clubs in English football. He had played for Scunthorpe, Wigan, Peterborough and Brentford.
While non of his charges involve him betting against his own teams, the 26-year-old has reportedly responded to the FA charges, admitting to some of the charges and equally contesting others.
He is now more likely to face a lengthened ban from English football after pleading guilty. This will see his spell with Brentford for the season brought to an end.
He will also be ruled out from making Gareth Southgate’s European Championship qualifiers.
While he may likely witness a sharp dip in his career following the imminent ban, Brentford may not likely be affected in their bid to stay in the Premier League this season if Ivan Toney is suspended.
Also, if he is suspended before the end of this season, Ivan Toney may have to serve the ban in the summer break and may not likely affect his career heavily.
However, the lingering uncertainties surrounding his career due to the imminent ban may likey affect his rumored move to a bigger club next summer.
He still has a contract with Brentford untill 2025, but some big clubs are reportedly eyeing a move for the England star after his sparkling spell with the Bees.
This season, Ivan Toney has racked up 14 goals in 22 games for Brentford, making the team a top threat and a thorn in the flesh of big teams in the Premier League.
