Chris Sutton leads the praise of Ivan Toney
‘He must be the best penalty taker in the world’: Chris Sutton leads the praise of Brentford’s Ivan Toney after he keeps miraculous run from the spot going with supporters urging Gareth Southgate to take the forward for his prowess from 12 yards alone
- Ivan Toney scored twice for Brentford as they ran out 2-0 winners over Brighton
- Penalty meant Toney has scored all of his 20 efforts from the spot for the Bees
- Pressure is growing on Gareth Southgate to include Ivan Toney in final 26
Ivan Toney’s performance against Brighton for Brentford on Friday night has heightened calls for Gareth Southgate to take the forward to Qatar this winter.
Toney, 26, scored a goal in each half as Thomas Frank’s side beat Brighton in an entertaining game at the G-Tech Community Stadium.
The Brentford centre forward’s second goal, which came from the spot, was particularly notable for it being his 20th from 12 yards for the Bees maintaining his 100 per cent record for the club.
Ivan Toney added to his England credentials with a brace against Brighton on Friday night
He has only ever missed one professional penalty, against Barnsley in a 4-0 loss in League One in 2018-19 playing for Peterborough.
Friday’s win over Brighton takes Brentford up to 8th in the league with nine Premier League fixtures to follow this weekend.
Seemingly amazed by his continued success from the spot, particularly in the context of his unconventional style, supporters took to Twitter to praise the forward while also urging Southgate to include the player in his final 26-man squad.
Toney’s second half penalty meant he has taken – and scored – 20 penalties for the Bees in total across his career with them
Toney was included in Southgate’s most recent squad for the Nations League fixtures against Italy and Germany but did not play in either game leading to many questioning whether or not Southgate would actually take him.
‘I’d just have Ivan Toney in England squad in case of penalty shootouts,’ one observer noted.
‘Toney should absolutely be in the England World Cup squad,’ another appeared to urge the England manager.
One supporter said it would be ‘criminal’ for Southgate not to take Toney.
‘Toney surely has to be in that England World Cup squad, what a talent,’ another wrote.
Meanwhile, Sportsmail’s own Chris Sutton merely noted Toney’s prowess from the spot. Perhaps ignoring the likes of Neymar and Kylian Mbappe, the former Blackburn and Celtic forward said the Brentford man was the best in the world from 12 yards.
Ivan Toney was a member of Gareth Southgate’s most recent squad but did not play a minute
He wrote: ‘Ivan Toney must be the best penalty taker in the world right now.’
Other supporters, perhaps already foreboding a nervy knockout tie in Qatar, pointed to Toney’s ability as reason enough for Southgate to include him.
One wrote: ‘Ivan Toney (has) got to be on the plane for his penalties alone.’
England have been eliminated from the World Cup three times on penalties – 1990, 1998 and 2006. They broke their hoodoo in 2018 against Colombia but were brought back to reality last summer against Italy in the final of Euro 2020 at Wembley, a competition in which their record in shootouts is scarcely better.
Gary Neville, meanwhile, speaking on Sky Sports on Friday pled the case of Toney saying he should had a ‘massive’ chance of being included.
Neville believes that Toney would provide England with a useful alternative to Harry Kane
Neville said: ‘The threat that he poses, his hard work, leading the line. Look at those appearances and goals, it’s a magnificent record.
‘I think he will have been very frustrated to have gone away with England and not even taken part, but I think Gareth will have been measuring him in terms of how he was with the squad, how he’s settled in.
‘If you think of a 26-man England squad and you think of the fact that Calvert-Lewin’s been injured, Harry Kane, let’s say something happened to him, you’d have to say he’s in with a massive chance of going.’
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