FA chief Mark Bullingham has addressed claims that Ivan Toney was left out of the England squad due to his ongoing gambling case.
Toney was recently charged by the FA for breaking their gambling rules on 232 occasions. The story of an investigation was released before Gareth Southgate announced his England squad, leading to some fans believing Toney was omitted from the squad due to this reason.
Now, according to ITV, FA Ceo Bullingham didn’t tell Southgate to snub Toney from the England squad as a result of his gambling charges, and the decision to omit Toney was based purely on football grounds alone.
Whether the claim is true or not that Toney was snubbed for footballing reasons, it’s still difficult to see why he wasn’t given a place in the squad.
Toney has been in excellent form for Brentford this season and he would offer England a different dimension in attack.
Also, his penalty record is one of the best in Europe, so having him as an option if a game goes to a shootout would have been a smart move from the England gaffer.