I’ll be a better player when I return, says Toney

IVAN TONEY is confident he is going to be a better player when he returns from his betting ban and has vowed to repay Brentford’s support by firing the club out of their relegation battle. Toney, who was handed an eightmonth suspension in May for 232 breaches of the FA’s gambling rules, will be available again from Wednesday week and is expected to make his return three days later against Nottingham Forest.

The 27-year-old, who has been linked with Arsenal and Chelsea, is motivated by helping pull Brentford away from the wrong end of the table and earning a place in England’s European Championship squad this summer.

“I’m going to be hungrier, I’m in better shape now,” Toney (right) said. “There has been some time out, but what drives me is when people say, ‘He’s not going to be the same to where he left off’. So, watch this space and see what happens.

“It’s just about coming back as strong as possible. I’ve got a short space of time to find my form, but I’m sure I will. I am capable of doing it, the vision that I have is coming back and firing straight away.”

Toney says Brentford’s support was “massive” during his ban and he wants to repay the club, which has lost five straight League games to drop to 16th in the table. “[Head coach] Thomas Frank has been nothing but the biggest help I could have asked for. The whole club has,” Toney said in an interview with Sky Sports News. “The club was right behind me from the first bit. I can’t thank them enough, especially the fans. They were behind me from the first minute as well, so it’s kind of like I have a lot to repay.”

Frank has ruled out selling £100million-rated Toney this month and the striker is hopeful of finishing the campaign by forcing his way into Gareth Southgate’s squad for the Euros in Germany. “That’s the aim,” he said.