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In Focus: Toney stakes England claim as Bees sting Wolves
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Cian Cheesbrough
LiveScore
Ivan Toney has impressed during his debut season in the Premier League with Brentford
Ivan Toney has impressed during his debut season in the Premier League with Brentford

Ivan Toney further showed he belongs at Premier League level with an influential display against Wolves.

The Brentford striker, 25, claimed a goal and assist but could have bagged himself a hat-trick had fortunes gone his way after he saw two finishes chalked off as the home side struggled to deal with him.

His all-round display will have caught the eye of many — including England manager Gareth Southgate.

We turn the spotlight on Toney and assess his Three Lions credentials.

Top-flight terror

The Bees have impressed so far in their first-ever Premier League campaign and sit ninth with a respectable eight points in five games.

Comfortably adapting to a step up is no new thing for Toney, who set a new goalscoring record last season with 31 strikes in what was his maiden Championship campaign.

His partnership with Bryan Mbeumo — which was so effective in the second tier last term — is proving the same at the top level and has allowed Brentford to pose an attacking threat in all their games so far.

Ivan Toney has impressed in his opening five Premier League games for Brentford
Ivan Toney has impressed in his opening five Premier League games for Brentford

Toney's aerial threat and ability to link play combined with his goalscoring prowess makes him ready-made for the top flight, and he looks well placed to build on his two goals already this season.

Following his match-winning display, former player Martin Keown waxed lyrical about the Bees No9.

Keown said on Match of the Day: "He caused real problems and they (Wolves) were frightened to death of him and he’s got all the qualities you need. We talk about Romelu Lukaku a lot of the time, but he caused panic.

"If you look at his pace, power and intelligence, he knows what he’s good at. He belongs at this Premier League level, there is no doubt about that. He’s going from strength to strength."

England pathway

Toney's form has already led for calls for him to earn an England call-up and you only have to look at last season to show how a strong showing in the Premier League can force a player into Southgate’s plans.

Ollie Watkins — who had scored 26 goals for Toney’s club Brentford in the Championship — was called up in March after a stunning debut top-flight season with Aston Villa.

It is a similar story to Patrick Bamford, who was included in the latest squad following an impressive first full campaign in the Premier League following Leeds’ promotion.

If Toney can build on his the start he has made, the pathway for him to get international recognition is familiar and will be well within his sights.

Last season's Championship top scorer Ivan Toney will have an England place in his sights
Last season's Championship top scorer Ivan Toney will have an England place in his sights

Journey to the top

A maiden call up would be another stage of an incredible journey for the striker, who was playing in League One with Peterborough just two seasons ago.

After finally leaving Newcastle following a three-year spell involving six loan moves, Toney has worked his way back to the top from the third tier.

He finished with totals of 16 and 24 goals during his two campaigns for Posh — the latter being the most in the division.

He did the same following a £5million switch to the Bees as he spearheaded them into the Premier League for the first time.

And Peterborough director of football Barry Fry is in no doubt of Toney’s capabilities of making a mark on the international stage.

He told The i last season: "He’s been a League One golden boot winner, a Championship golden boot winner, I can see him being a golden boot winner in the Premier League and playing for England."

Who stands in his way?

So how does Toney compare to others fighting for a Three Lions spot?

Assuming captain and star striker Harry Kane is a shoo-in to Southgate’s squad, Toney is seemingly fighting with Watkins, Bamford and Dominic Calvert-Lewin for the final two striker places.

Ivan Toney scored the more goals last season than any of his England rivals — albeit in the Championship
Ivan Toney scored the more goals last season than any of his England rivals — albeit in the Championship

Of the four contenders, Calvert-Lewin looked to be at the front of the queue after earning a place in England’s Euro 2020 squad, while he has an impressive 32 Premier League goals since the start of 2019-20.

But his strong start to this season was disrupted by injury, meaning the remaining three could all stake a claim to fill his place for the upcoming international break starting on October 9.  

Watkins — who just missed out on a Euro 2020 spot after making the provisional 33-man list — is back to full fitness at Villa after missing the last break through injury.

And Bamford will be determined to keep his place after making his Three Lions debut against Andorra.

Of those three, though, the Brentford man has impressed the most this season and is as deserving as any to be named in the squad by Southgate.

On talk of a potential call up, manager Thomas Frank said: "He (Toney) has a top mentality. He is level-headed but has big confidence in his ability. He knows who is in front of him and what he needs to to do well in.

"Things happen for a reason if Gareth thinks that he scored enough he will call him up."

If he continues performing at his current level then Toney will be impossible to ignore.

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BrentfordPremier LeagueIvan ToneyEngland
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