Premier League striker Ivan Toney has been banned from football for eight months after breaching the Football Association’s gambling rules.
The Brentford and England will not play again until next year.
Toney was also fined £50,000 after admitting breaking 232 betting rules.
The ban is a major set-back not only for the player but his club.
Since promotion from the Championship League Toney has been a major strike force in seeing Brentford keep a respectable place in the Premier division.
He is the league’s third highest scorer with 20 goals in 33 matches.
The FA said in a statement:
“Ivan Toney has been suspended from all football and football-related activity with immediate effect for eight months, which runs up to and including 16 January 2024, fined £50,000 and warned as to his future conduct for breaches of The FA’s Betting Rules.
“The Brentford FC forward was charged with 262 breaches of FA Rule E8 in total between 25 February 2017 and 23 January 2021.
“The FA subsequently withdrew 30 of these breaches and he admitted to the remaining 232.
“His sanctions were subsequently imposed by an independent Regulatory Commission following a personal hearing.
“He is permitted to return to training only with his club for the final four months of his suspension starting from 17 September 2023.”
n a statement, Toney said: “Today I have received notification of my eight-month ban from football following a hearing before an FA Regulatory Commission that took place yesterday. I am naturally disappointed that I will be unable to play for the next eight months.
“The written reasons for the Commission’s decision have not yet been published, so I make no further comment at this point other than to thank my family and friends, Brentford FC and our fans for their continued support, through what has been a very difficult time. I now focus on returning to play the game I love next season.”
Brentford added: “Brentford FC is currently awaiting the publication of the written reasons of the independent Regulatory Commission. We will review them before considering our next steps.”