Brentford striker Ivan Toney has been banned from football for eight months after he accepted breaking Football Association betting rules.
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His suspension starts immediately, but the 27-year-old can return to training with Brentford four months before it ends on 17 September.
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Toney has also been charged Ksh. 8.5 million(£50,000) and warned about his future conduct for 232 breaches of the FA’s betting rules.
“I make no further comment at this point other than to thank my family and friends, Brentford FC and our fans for their continued support, through what has been a very difficult time. “I now focus on returning to play the game I love next season.”
He will not be allowed to play again until 17 January 2024.
Posting on his Instagram story, Toney said he was “naturally disappointed” at the verdict, and would make no further comment until the independent Regulatory Commission publishes its written reasons.
In a statement, the FA said:
“His [Toney] sanctions were subsequently imposed by an independent Regulatory Commission following a personal hearing.
“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.”
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The breaches Toney has been found guilty of took place between 25 February 2017 and 23 January 2021, during which time Toney represented Scunthorpe United, Wigan Athletic, Peterborough United and Brentford.
Toney has scored 20 goals in 33 Premier League appearances this season, helping Brentford into ninth place in the table.
He will miss Brentford’s trip to Tottenham on Saturday and the final day of the season at home to league leaders Manchester City on 28 May.
Brentford says they note the FA’s decision and are awaiting the publication of the written reasons before “considering our next steps”.
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Toney won his first England cap as a late substitute in the 2-0 Euro 2024 qualifying win over Ukraine in March, having received his first call-up to Gareth Southgate’s squad last September.
England defender Kieran Trippier was banned for 10 weeks by the FA in December 2020 for giving out information for others to bet on his transfer from Tottenham to Atletico Madrid.
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In 2017, Joey Barton – then a Burnley player – was banned for 18 months, reduced to 13 on appeal, after admitting to placing 1,260 football-related bets over a 10-year period.
