Brentford striker Ivan Toney has allegedly pleaded guilty to multiple charges of breaching FA gambling rules and is set to face a lengthy ban from football.
The 26-year-old was charged by the FA in November over 232 alleged breaches of betting rules, with a further 30 being added the following month. Now, according to the Daily Mail, Toney has admitted to many of the charges, but is expected to contest others.
An FA disciplinary hearing is understood to be imminent with Toney likely to be handed a ban from football. The impending suspension is set to rule him out of contention for England's two international matches against Ukraine and Italy next month, having also missed out on selection for the World Cup.
It will be a major blow for Gareth Southgate, who could be short of in-form attacking options, given that Callum Wilson, Raheem Sterling, Phil Foden and Tammy Abraham have struggled for form and fitness recently. Although Toney wasn't chosen for the Three Lions' squad for Qatar, he has continued to impress for the Bees.
Toney has scored four goals in seven Premier League appearances since the restart of domestic football and also grabbed a brace against Manchester City in the game before the World Cup. The ex-Newcastle man is currently the joint-third highest scorer in the division alongside Marcus Rashford and behind only Harry Kane and Erling Haaland.
After being charged with 232 breaches of the FA's gambling policies between 2017 and 2021 in November, the FA added another 30 charges that took place between 2017 and 2019 the following month. It takes the total to 262 charges, which could rule the striker out for a lengthy amount of time depending on the FA's decision.
The alleged breaches took place during which time Toney played for Scunthorpe United, Wigan Athletic, Peterborough United and Brentford. The Bees released a statement in November which read: "We note the story concerning Ivan Toney and the FA investigation. The club will not be commenting."
Brentford are battling for a European finish in the Premier League this season and currently sit ninth, just six points off fifth place Newcastle. They have lost just four league matches all season and will fight alongside the likes of Fulham, Brighton and Liverpool to force their way into the top-six.
Toney has played a key part in Brentford's success this term but he could be a massive miss should he be banned for a considerable amount of time. The Bees' next top scorer is Bryan Mbeumo on five goals, showing the reliance Thomas Frank's side have had on their talisman.
Speaking after his charges in December, Frank said: "Of course we’ve tried to support him in the best possible way we can.
"You’ve seen all the statements we’ve put out there but for me the most important thing is that, looking at the player and the person, he is focused on the football. He is training well, he is doing everything he can to prepare and be ready to score goals on Boxing Day against Tottenham."
