Ivan Toney may be at the heart of a very modern footballing phenomenon, the tweet war where offence is imagined and hostilities conducted via smartphone, but there is an old-fashioned element to his progress. He is set to become the first Brentford player to represent England for 83 years, since the Second World War curtailed Les Smith’s brief international career, and his is a CV with a certain throwback appeal.
Some are fast-tracked to the top. Like many a player of an earlier generation, Toney took the indirect route. As he noted, he made Gareth Southgate’s senior squad without ever representing his country at a lower level; indeed, Jamaica showed interest in him before England did. While only Erling Haaland, Aleksandar Mitrovic and Harry Kane have scored more Premier League goals this season, the 26-year-old has made fewer appearances in the top flight than in the Championship. He has made still more in League Two but has played most in League One. He was a serial loanee, lining up for Barnsley and Wigan, Shrewsbury and Scunthorpe, but a permanent transfer was when he felt furthest away from realising his ambitions.
