(Reuters) – Brentford manager Thomas Frank said on Friday he was positive about Ivan Toney’s future at the Premier League club despite the striker’s eight-month ban from football, adding that they needed to support the England international through his suspension.
Toney was banned this week after admitting to 232 breaches of the Football Association’s (FA) betting rules and was also fined 50,000 pounds ($63,105.00).
The 27-year-old cannot play for club or country until Jan. 16, 2024 and has been warned as to his future conduct.
Toney, who has scored 20 goals in 33 league games for Brentford this season, can return to training for the final four months of his suspension starting from Sept. 17, 2023.
“His future is with Brentford, there’s no doubt about that,” Frank told reporters ahead of Saturday’s trip to Tottenham Hotspur.
“I’ve been in contact with him. He’s disappointed and sad about the situation. We are waiting for the information so we know what we can do, what he’s allowed to do, especially for the first four months.
“We need to be aware of the mental health in this. Ivan is a footballer but also a human being who has family and friends. We need to do everything we can do to support him. We want to be there for him, we just want to know what we can do.”
Brentford, who are ninth, visit Spurs before hosting leaders Manchester City in their final game of the season.
($1 = 0.7923 pounds)
(Reporting by Aadi Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Ken Ferris)
