England striker Ivan Toney banned for EIGHT MONTHS for breaching FA betting rules and won’t play again until 2024

IVAN TONEY has been banned from football for EIGHT months with immediate effect for his gambling shame.

Brentford and England striker Toney, who earns around £20,000 a week, has played with the threat of a lengthy suspension hanging over him since he was charged with 232 breaches of FA regulations in November and a further 30 the following month.

And despite bleating about “leaks” in the process as it emerged he had admitted to a number of charges in March, Toney, 27, now faces the full consequences of his actions.

In a statement the FA confirmed: “Ivan Toney has been suspended from all football and football-related activity with immediate effect for eight months, which runs up to and including 16 January 2024, fined £50,000 and warned as to his future conduct for breaches of The FA’s Betting Rules.

“The Brentford FC forward was charged with 262 breaches of FA Rule E8 in total between 25 February 2017 and 23 January 2021. 

“The FA subsequently withdrew 30 of these breaches and he admitted to the remaining 232.  

“His sanctions were subsequently imposed by an independent Regulatory Commission following a personal hearing. 

“He is permitted to return to training only with his club for the final four months of his suspension starting from 17 September 2023.

“The independent Regulatory Commission’s written reasons for these sanctions will be published in due course, and The FA will wait to review them before commenting further.”

Nothing the Independent Regulatory Commission's decision, Brentford wrote in an official statement: "Ivan was charged with breaches of FA rule E8 and had a personal hearing earlier this week.

"Brentford FC is currently awaiting the publication of the written reasons of the independent Regulatory Commission. We will review them before considering our next steps."

The decision wrecks Toney’s year, just two months after he made his England bow as a late replacement for skipper Harry Kane in the Euro 2024 qualifying win over Ukraine.

Toney, 27, the third-highest scorer in the Prem this season, with 20 goals and only below Erling Haaland and Kane in the goal charts, was a certainty to be named in Gareth Southgate’s squad for next month’s qualifiers against Malta and North Macedonia.

Now, though, he is ineligible for selection and will not be allowed to play for his country until March.

Toney’s charges related to a four-year period between February 2017 and January 2021 when the striker was playing for Scunthorpe and Wigan - on loan from Newcastle - and subsequently Peterborough and the Bees.

Toney appeared before an independent FA disciplinary commission yesterday in an attempt to argue down his looming ban - which will surely rule him out of a big-money summer switch.

Chelsea had been linked with a summer swoop for Brentford's talisman.

He will begin serving his suspension for Saturday’s clash with Tottenham, and will also be absent for the final day match-up with Manchester City.

Toney will continue to serve his ban over the fallow summer months, with a view to returning to action in January.

There was never a suggestion that Toney placed wagers on any matches in which he was involved.

Some Arsenal fans on social media were left enraged by Toney's ban... which will see him miss Brentford's final-day clash with Man City.

This is despite the Gunners' title hopes being all but over after their 3-0 defeat to Brighton last Sunday.

England star Kieran Trippier was penalised for breaking FA betting rules after telling a friend to "lump on" ahead of his transfer from Tottenham to Atletico Madrid in 2019.

Trippier did not directly place a bet but following an investigation he was banned from football activity for ten weeks and fined £70,000.

In 2016 Joey Barton was found to be in breach of the betting rules after placing 1,260 bets over a period of ten years.

The following April he was banned for 18 months, effectively ending his career as he retired instead of deciding to appeal his punishment.

Former England striker Daniel Sturridge was banned for four months and fined £150,000 in January 2018 after being found guilty of passing on information relating to his transfer.