Ivan Toney has a friend in Gareth Southgate. The England coach has spoken to the Brentford striker following his eight-month betting ban offering him his personal support and promising a quick return to the England squad.
It is clear Southgate believes Toney had been failed by the game following his ban for 232 breaches of the FA’s betting rules. Southgate felt complete exclusion from the football community was an inappropriate response, and that more needs to be done to understand the problem.
“I have spoken with him. I don’t know whether that’s allowed by the way but, if it isn’t, they can ban me and not add to his,” Southgate said.
“The ban is the ban, it is what it is. I think he recognised and accepted the punishment. What bothers me is that we have got to look after people and he is injured at the moment – what does he do about getting fit?
“How do we give him some structure over the next few months so that he can develop himself or be a better person at the end of it. I don’t like the idea that we just leave somebody, that they’re not allowed to be part of the football community. I don’t think that’s how the best rehabilitation programmes would work.”
Toney is prohibited from all professional football involvement, on or off the pitch, until January, just five months before the European Championships begin in Germany. Southgate was keen to remind Toney selection next summer is not beyond him.
“When he comes back, if he plays well, we will pick him. It won’t have any bearing but I think he will have additional motivation through what he is experiencing and he is a resilient guy with great character and we are here to support him.
“It is not ideal because he is going to miss a large chunk of the season and you don’t know after that sort of period out how physically he is going to adapt and how he is going to play.
“But it is possible for him, there will still be time and he has impressed us with the way he’s played. I like his personality, I like his belief and the way he goes about his job, so everything is still possible for him.”
Raheem Sterling de-selected himself from the 26-man squad ahead of the June internationals during a conversation with Southgate a week ago. Sterling has been carrying a hamstring condition and, though he has continued to play for his club Chelsea, felt himself not to be in the best form.
“He is not happy with his condition physically. He wasn’t really in consideration. He doesn’t think he is operating at the level he needs,” Southgate said. In Sterling’s absence Southgate included Eberechi Eze after the Crystal Palace striker previously missed out through injury.
“We’ve liked him for a long time,” Southgate said. “He was very unfortunate just before the Euros. We were going to call him into a prep camp and he got an injury. He has finished the season very strongly, he can play in a couple of positions across that front line. He has high quality and bursts of speed to go past players with those dribbling skills.”
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