Ivan Toney’s England snub unrelated to betting scandal, says FA head

FA chief offers Toney updateEngland snub unrelated to chargesToney accused of 230+ breaches

WHAT HAPPENED? After it was confirmed that Brentford’s Toney had been charged with FA betting rule breaches, chief executive Mark Bullingham has cleared up his absence from the England World Cup squad that preceded the charge, insisting the two matters are not related.

WHAT HE SAID: Bullingham insisted to the BBC: “He was absolutely available for selection. He was not chosen on footballing grounds.”

He added: “I think our rules are very clear and we have had a small number of cases. Obviously, we will look to enforce the rules when they are broken.”

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Toney has been charged with 232 breaches of the FA’s betting rule, alleged to have taken place between 2017 and 2021. Before the charges were announced, fans were bemused as to how the 25-year-old hadn’t made Gareth Southgate’s 26-man England squad headed to Qatar, given he’d bagged 11 goals from 16 games in all competitions so far this season, and was called up to the squad in September’s final international break before the tournament.

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WHAT’S NEXT FOR TONEY? The striker has until November 24 to respond to the betting charge.