Earlier this week, the ban imposed on Ivan Toney for gambling was lifted, and the Brentford striker shared with Sky Sports News that he is contemplating a potential move to another club someday.
As previously reported by Casino Guardian, Toney was handed an eight-month suspension last year after being charged with over 230 counts of violating Football Association regulations. The transgressions included instances of Toney wagering against his own team, and the length of the suspension was determined based on both the severity and quantity of the breaches.
Toney is set to make his post-suspension debut with Brentford on Saturday, and he told Sky Sports News that he wishes to “play for a top club” and is open to transferring sometime in the future. Toney also claimed that he is determined to make it to England’s Euro 2024 national team, as the captain, Harry Kane, is someone Toney considers to be among the “best strikers in the world.” Toney believes that having the opportunity to learn from and train with Kane would bring him closer to his goal of becoming the top football player in England.
Toney did not shy away from speaking about his punishment during the interview. He told Sky Sports News that he is “fine” and expressed a positive outlook on how one can move forward despite such setbacks. Toney also responded to queries about the ban by admitting responsibility, and saying that punishment is warranted when someone breaks the rules. He did say, however, that what he thought of the ban’s harshness was not relevant, as it was “not his place” to comment on the matter.
Toney is Adamant That he Will Not Face Such Punishments in the Future
When asked about his addiction, Toney reflected on how one will sometimes not realise that they are doing something wrong until after the deed has been done. He also said that the matter is “sorted out now” as he has received support from others and that similar punishments will not happen again. He continued, claiming that his desire to partake in gambling is gone. Toney did describe how painful he found the first four months of the suspension, however, as it was then that he could not contact his teammates nor train at Brentford’s training facility.
Toney would also go on to express guilt about how his punishment affected his family, most notably how, for eight months, he deprived them of the weekends when they would travel to watch him play. He is, therefore, eager to repay them with the matches to follow.
Unlike Toney, there are football players who are yet to return to playing after being suspended for breaching gambling regulations. Among them is Newcastle midfielder Sandro Tonali, who is currently prohibited from playing professionally, as his ten-month ban is due to end this August. In circumstances that resemble what Toney went through, Tonali’s struggles with gambling addiction were what ultimately pushed him to committing the violations. As previously reported by Sky Sports News, the ban was originally supposed to be 18-months-long. However, eight months were shelved in favour of Tonali being required to undergo gambling addiction treatment.
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Daniel Williams
