Toney not picked for England on ‘footballing grounds’, says FA chief

Brentford striker Ivan Toney was not selected for England’s World Cup squad on “footballing grounds”, says the Football Association chief executive Mark Bullingham.

The 26-year-old has been charged by the Football Association with 232 alleged breaches of betting rules. Toney has scored 10 Premier League goals this season and had been tipped for a place in the England squad.

“He was absolutely available for selection,” Bullingham told BBC sports editor Dan Roan. “He was not chosen on footballing grounds.” 

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.

Asked if this was a problem within the English game, Bullingham said: “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.”