Ivan Toney believes the Football Association’s investigation into his betting breaches was made public in a “spiteful” way in advance of England’s World Cup squad being announced last year.
Speaking publicly for the first time since his eight-month ban from football, the Brentford striker says missing out on a place in Qatar was a “bigger punishment” than his suspension.
The first newspaper reports of the investigation into Toney’s historical betting emerged just days before Gareth Southgate was due to name his squad for the World Cup in November.
But the investigation did not conclude until last month, when Toney was banned until January next year after he admitted 232 betting breaches.
Speaking on the Kick Game YouTube channel, Toney said: “People try to break people down. How it come out, just before the England camp, obviously missing out on the World Cup… in a way, it was kind of like ‘get out now so you don’t go [away with] England’.
And then all of a sudden they want to wait until the end of the season… but it is what it is. They wanted to do it that way. I call it a bit spiteful. You just have to get on with it.
“I feel that was a bigger punishment, even though I am missing eight months of football. That was a bigger punishment, missing out on the World Cup. It’s everybody’s dream. I believe in myself and hopefully I can be at the next one.”
The written reasons for Toney’s ban revealed the 27-year-old has a gambling addiction.
Among the most serious charges, he repeatedly placed bets on matches his own team were involved in, including 13 occasions when he backed his club to lose, although he did not feature in any of the games.
Toney is not allowed to train with Brentford for the first four months of his ban and cannot play again until January 16. He has vowed to return a “different animal” and says he does not want any sympathy.
Toney also says there are “double standards” in football around and its relationship with gambling, with widespread sponsorship from betting companies.
“The fact is, the majority of football teams now are sponsored by gambling companies,” he said.
Asked if football should be doing more to address its relationship with gambling, Toney said: “Of course, I feel that it should.
“People out there are painting a certain picture of me, fair enough, but people that know me know who I am and what I’m about. The majority of football teams now are sponsored by gambling companies, so weigh it up.
“If the rules are not to bet, you shouldn’t be betting, but for people that need help there should be more around them to stop them going in that direction.”
Toney added: “The club [Brentford] has actually been very helpful and supportive, everybody at the club. Loads of footballers have messaged me as well. The sport is good.
“But how I am, I don’t want anybody to feel sorry for me. The punishment is the punishment, get on with it.
“I’ve just got to focus on training when I come back and being a different animal when I come back in the league. It’s going to be frightening.”
The FA was approached for comment.
