Ivan Toney was hit with an eight-month ban from playing football after being found guilty of breaking the Football Association's betting rules in May 2023.
The Brentford striker was charged with 262 breaches of the FA's Rule E8, admitting to 232 of those charges, with 30 of them withdrawn. They related to various bets placed by Toney on himself to score, his own team to win, and sometimes on his team to lose — although not when the 27-year-old was playing.
The ban came as a hammer blow for the striker, who was enjoying a fine 2022/23 season for Brentford before it was cut short.
Toney is now back in action, helping the Bees in their battle against relegation and aiming to press his case for a place in England's Euro 2024 squad. What is the future for the in-demand striker as he prepares to lead the line for the Three Lions against Belgium at Wembley?
MORE: Details of FA rules breaches that led to Ivan Toney's eight-month suspension
Ivan Toney's betting ban
Toney's ban expired on January 17, 2024, and spoke to the Diary of a CEO podcast, highlighting how his return to first-team training was an essential step.
"It's like a kid at Christmas — I'm counting down the days until I can train and be around the boys, being in football prison at the moment," Toney said.
"Being around the boys [training] it will get a little bit easier but at the end of the week there's no end goal or reward because you can't play in the match.
"I feel like keeping me away from the [training] ground, if I wasn't as strong in my head, that would break some people. We talk about mental health and these things. What's that doing to a player who is not allowed in the environment? Keeping him away from the training ground knowing that football is their life and it's all they've done from a young age, how is that going to help them at all?
"It doesn't add up with the things they push forward. The whole football community is big on mental health and then the FA do this and pushes me away from the whole football environment.
"It's not a nice feeling and the whole purpose of not being allowed at the training ground is baffling for me," he added.
Ivan Toney first game back for Brentford
Toney's first scheduled game back was Brentford's home game against Nottingham Forest on January 20, 2024 and he marked it in style.
Frank moved to allay any fears over his star striker's fitness during the pre-match news conference.
“Ivan Toney will start and he will also be our captain tomorrow," he said. “He's like an eight-year-old boy who just wants to go out and play — pure joy of playing football."
The 28-year-old frontman made good on his manager's words, equalising with a 19th-minute free-kick before Brentford claimed a thrilling 3-2 win.
MORE: The race for the 2023/24 Premier League Golden Boot
Ivan Toney career stats, goals, contract & transfer rumours
The Forest game began a purple patch of four goals in Toney's first five games back, with Premier League champions Manchester City the only team to prevent him from finding the target during that period.
However, he went into the Belgium game without finding the net in five consecutive appearances.
Toney's Premier League record since Brentford's promotion to the top flight has prompted plenty of speculation about his future. He's turned himself into a dependable Premier League goalscorer and has regularly been linked with the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea — even namechecking the former two clubs in his Diary of a CEO interview.
"The next club I go to if I was to move, it would be the right club," he said.
"I've been a Liverpool fan my whole life but from young, I've liked Arsenal, watching Arsenal, how they play and how passionate the fans are."
Frank, however, insists Brentford have no inclination to sell Toney, despite the suspension and the interest in him.
"His future is with Brentford, there's no doubt about that," said the Danish manager.
Ivan Toney goals and appearances for Brentford
| Season | Appearances | Goals |
| 2020/21 — Championship | 45 | 31 |
| 2021/22 — Premier League | 33 | 12 |
| 2022/23 — Premier League | 33 | 20 |
| 2023/24 — Premier League | 10 | 4 |
| Cups, other competitions for Brentford, 2020– | 13 | 5 |
Toney is contracted to the west London club until June 2025 and earns a reported £21,000 per week — a figure that the Premier League's big-hitters are likely to exceed if it comes to offering him a new home away from Brentford. He's scored 36 goals in 76 Premier League games in the past two seasons.
Before joining the Bees, the journeyman striker was prolific for two seasons in League One for Peterborough United, following a spell at Newcastle United during which he was loaned to Barnsley, Shrewsbury Town, Wigan Athletic and Scunthorpe United. He began his career at Northampton Town, where he was born and grew up.