[p]Ivan Toney has expressed his thoughts on the eight-month ban he received for breaching betting rules. The FA issued the ban in May, along with a £50,000 fine, after Toney admitted to 232 breaches of Football Association betting regulations. These allegations emerged in November before England's squad announcement for the 2022 World Cup. Although FA chief executive Mark Bullingham stated that Toney was not selected based on "footballing grounds," the 27-year-old considers missing out on the World Cup to be the most significant punishment. Toney described the handling of his case as "spiteful" but acknowledged the need to move forward. Due to a diagnosed gambling addiction, Toney received a reduced ban and will be unable to train with Brentford until September, with his return to play scheduled for January 17, 2024. Despite the challenges he faces, Toney is determined to come back stronger and prove his critics wrong, emphasizing that he doesn't want sympathy but rather intends to focus on improving his performance. He also highlighted the need for football authorities to address their relationship with gambling, pointing out the prevalence of gambling company sponsorships in the sport. Toney mentioned that he plans to address various aspects of the situation in due course but emphasized that now is not the appropriate time.
