Brentford’s striker hasn’t played for the club since May, when he admitted to breaking 232 Football Association betting rules. Toney’s eight-month ban expired on Wednesday, allowing him to return to action when his side faces Nottingham Forest on Saturday.
Some clubs may not have persisted with a player charged with such a severe punishment, with Toney acknowledging he has “a lot to repay” the club and its supporters.
Last week, the 27-year-old told Sky Sports: “Everyone knows Brentford is a family club, and they’ve been nothing but fantastic for me. I cannot thank them enough, particularly the fans. They had been following me since the beginning. So it feels like I have a lot to repay.”
However, just hours after his ban expired, Toney took a different tone. In another interview with Sky Sports, the England striker revealed that his ambition is to play for a “top club” and even hinted that he may leave Brentford before the January transfer window shuts in two weeks.
“You can never predict when is the right time to move elsewhere,”he remarked. “It’s obvious that I’d like to play for a top club; everyone wants to play for top clubs, competing for championships and such. So, who knows if a team will step in and pay the proper amount this January? But my major emphasis is doing what I do on the pitch, and the background stuff will take care of itself.
Toney had previously been linked with Arsenal and Chelsea, and he admits to being a Liverpool supporter. However, Brentford manager Thomas Frank has made it clear that the striker is not for sale.
“The very short answer is yes. “He is a Brentford player,” Frank remarked earlier this month when asked if Toney will stay with the club after January.
“He is here; we are missing a few attacking players, and I don’t see why we should sell him. I’d love to have him here for a long time. It is not for me to discuss [an offer], but if I were to recommend one, it would have to be at an extraordinary price so he would stay here.”
If Frank gets his way, Toney’s comeback could not be more timely for the Bees. The London club has gone winless in its previous five Premier League games and is only three points above the relegation zone.
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