Ivan Toney has hit out at the ‘spiteful’ timing of the leaks of his betting investigation, arguing it was done to cost him a spot in England’s World Cup squad.

The Brentford striker had ten Premier League goals to his name by the time club football paused for the World Cup but, after news of the Football Association’s investigation into his breaches of gambling rules became public, ultimately missed out on a spot at the tournament.

In May, Toney was eventually hit with a formal punishment. The 27-year-old has been banned for eight months and, while he admitted such a suspension was tough to take, Toney confessed the World Cup omission was the worst part of the whole thing.

“People try to break people down,” Toney told Kick Game. “How it come out, just before the England camp, obviously missing out on the World Cup…in a way, it was kind of like: ‘get out now so you don’t go [away with] England’.

“And then all of a sudden they want to wait until the end of the season…but it is what it is. They wanted to do it that way. I call it a bit spiteful. You just have to get on with it.

“I feel that was a bigger punishment, even though I am missing eight months of football. That was a bigger punishment, missing out on the World Cup. It’s everybody’s dream. I believe in myself and hopefully I can be at the next one.”

Toney did not shy away from accepting blame for his betting breaches and thanked Brentford for their reaction to the punishment.

“The club has actually been very helpful and supportive, everybody at the club,” he continued. “Loads of footballers have messaged me as well. The sport is good.

“But how I am, I don’t want anybody to feel sorry for me. The punishment is the punishment, get on with it.

“I’ve just got to focus on training when I come back and being a different animal when I come back in the league. It’s going to be frightening.”

On this week’s edition of Talking Transfers, part of the 90min podcast network, Scott Saunders is joined by Toby Cudworth and Graeme Bailey to discuss Ange Postecoglou’s appointment at Spurs, Man Utd chasing Rasmus Hojlund, Harry Kane to Real Madrid, Lionel Messi & more!

If you can’t see this embed, click here to listen to the podcast!