Ivan Toney has revealed he did not watch matches throughout his ban after falling out of affection with soccer.
The Brentford striker, 27, is gearing up for his Premier League return together with his eight-month suspension for playing offences coming to an finish on January 17. He bagged a hat-trick in a youth match on Saturday (January 6).
But whereas he is now prepared and raring to get again to aggressive motion, Toney has advised The Mirror he briefly misplaced his love for the sport whereas being sidelined. “I didn’t watch football,” he defined.
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“I didn’t watch football for a while. In a way I punished myself. There was a stage I probably did fall out of love with football. It is what it is, the situation is done.”
Toney says he has “unfinished business” and is ready on getting again to his finest. He continued: “I know there’s a lot of people thinking ‘Can he do this, can he do that? How will he be when he gets back?'”
He’s been closely linked with a transfer to a high six membership both within the January switch window or come the summer time, whereas it stays to be seen if he’ll drive his means into Gareth Southgate’s England squad for Euro 2024.
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(Image: Getty Images)
But he insists his focus was on neither of these eventualities, including: “I was thinking about life after football. What my life would be if I didn’t have football.”
It’s anticipated he’ll go straight again into Thomas Frank’s matchday squad when the Bees host Nottingham Forest of their subsequent league outing on January 20.
Toney remained coy when requested what he’ll be telling himself within the tunnel forward of his first sport again, replying: “You’ve got things to do. Watch this space and let’s see what happens.”