Brentford manager urges Southgate to pick Ivan Toney for England

Ivan Toney has made a successful return to scoring for Brentford after an eight-month suspension due to breaching betting rules.

The striker has scored three times in four games, contributing to Brentford’s ascent to 14th place in the Premier League table following their 2-0 victory over Wolves on Saturday.

Brentford manager Thomas Frank has indicated that he expects the forward to depart in the summer, with Chelsea and Arsenal reportedly interested in the 27-year-old, whose contract expires at the end of next season.

Following his goal at Molineux, Toney shared his thoughts with BBC Match of the Day:

“I’ve just got to keep doing what I do and that’s score goals and like I said, what will be will be.”

Although prepared for the eventual departure of his striker, Frank has urged England manager Gareth Southgate to reintegrate him into the Three Lions squad before Euro 2024.

Toney has earned one England cap, featuring as a substitute for nine minutes in a Euro 2024 qualifying win against Ukraine, where he replaced Harry Kane. However, players like Callum Wilson, Ollie Watkins, and Marcus Rashford have the advantage over Toney of being more regularly included in England squads, allowing Southgate to closely monitor their progress.