The Rise of Ivan Toney: A Remarkable Football Star

Ivan Toney has carved out a fascinating journey in the realm of football. His story is one of resilience, perseverance, and unparalleled talent. From humble beginnings to soaring heights, Toney’s trajectory in the sport is a testament to his unwavering determination and remarkable skill set.

Join us as we provide insights into the life of Ivan Toney that transcend the ninety minutes on the pitch. This is a biography of a player that shines with a distinctive aura of dynamism and talent. Welcome to the story of Ivan Toney, the mercurial striker whose journey is as captivating as his gameplay

Player Profile – Ivan Toney

Ivan Toney plays football professionally for Brentford in the Premier League as a striker and also for the Three Lions of England. Toney started his career at Northampton Town before going to play for Newcastle United, Barnsley, Shrewsbury Town, Scunthorpe United, Wigan Athletic, and Peterborough United.

After earning his stripes as a reputable goal-scoring striker, he joined Brentford for five million pounds in 2020. Before joining Newcastle, Toney started his career at Northampton Town. However, he had trouble making the grade at the Magpies and was loaned out twice to Barnsley, Shrewsbury, Scunthorpe, and Wigan.

Player Profile Overview

Early Life

Ivan Toney was born in Northampton, England, on March 16, 1996. His mother, Lisa, groomed him in a devoutly Christian home. His religiosity is demonstrated by his gesture of pointing to the sky after goals, which is how he honours his family and demonstrates his strong religious beliefs.

Due to his father’s absence and his parent’s divorce, Toney had to deal with financial difficulties as he and his sisters were raised by their single mother before she remarried. Toney grew up with his two sisters and two half brothers from his mother’s second marriage. 

Ivan Toney’s Playing Style

Toney is an excellent finisher and has one of the best and most effective hold-up playing styles in the Premier League. This strength allows his team to advance up the field and involve other players such as Yoane Wissa and Bryan Mbeumo in the attack. He has good instincts inside the box and can score with both feet as well as his head.

Ivan Toney is known for his intelligent movement off the ball. He’s adept at finding space in the opposition’s defence. Toney is capable of making runs to exploit gaps and creating scoring opportunities for himself and his teammates.

Beyond his goal-scoring prowess, he is also capable of contributing to build-up play. Several pundits have praised his ability to drop deeper to receive the ball, hold it up, and bring others into the attack with his passing ability much like Harry Kane.

Toney is known for his work ethic on the field. He’s willing to put in the hard yards defensively, pressing opponents, and tracking back when needed. Furthermore, Toney is a threat from set-piece situations due to his aerial ability and his unique penalty-taking style.

Youth Career

Toney played grassroots football from the age of nine until I was about 13 and then I joined Leicester City. He was there for a year or two but was deemed not good enough to get a scholarship.

At the age of 15, he went to Northampton Town. It seemed as though he wasn’t going to get a scholarship at Northampton as well. On the last day, his mates had found out they had a scholarship but Toney didn’t receive the call.

However, the manager informed him that he had a scholarship and to come with the other boys. At Northampton Town, he started to show his lethal predatory instincts. He scored several times for the youth side including a remarkable 4 goals in the match against York City in an FA Youth Cup tie on the 14th of November, 2012.

Senior Career

Ivan Toney began his professional career at his home club, Northampton Town, making his senior debut in an FA Cup first-round tie against Bradford City. Toney became the youngest player ever in Northampton Town’s history at the age of sixteen, when he replaced Lewis Wilson.

Although Toney had just become the youngest player in Northampton Town history, he kept playing for the youth squad. On September 28, 2013, Ivan Toney made his full professional debut starting for the first team in a 0-0 home draw against Morecambe. He played 74 minutes before Ben Tozer took his place.

His first professional goals came in April 2014 when he scored a brace in a 3-0 victory over Dagenham & Redbridge. Toney continued to impression with his performances for Northampton. His goalscoring exploits continue even to the last day of the season securing a 3-1 victory over Oxford United.

His contributions to the team helped Northampton avert relegation to the Conference Premier that season. The following season was more prolific for Ivan Toney.

He made 44 appearances in all competitions and scored 10 goals that season. His performances caught the eyes of several clubs and on the 6th of August 2015, Ivan Toney signed a long-term contract with Newcastle United.

Signing for Newcastle United and Loan Spells

At the age of 19, Ivan Toney signed for Newcastle for £500,000. he stated his desire to do well for the team and perform well in the Premier League. He only made four appearances for Newcastle, though, before being quickly loaned to Barnsley, where he made 21 appearances and scored twice.

He scored seven goals at each club during his two loan stints, spending the first part of the 2016–17 campaign at Shrewsbury Town and the second at Scunthorpe United. In all, he scored 14 goals throughout that campaign.

The 2017–18 season was divided between stints on loans at Scunthorpe United and Wigan Athletic. Again, Toney finished with 14 goals, six against Scunthorpe and eight at Wigan. After making just four appearances for Newcastle, Toney signed a long-term contract with Peterborough United on August 9, 2018.

Peterborough United and Brentford FC

Toney’s move to Peterborough was instrumental in his meteoric rise as a prolific goalscorer. Although he had shown glimpses at his previous clubs, it was at Peterborough United he made waves. Toney had an impressive goal return for the club. He averaged more than a goal every two games during his two seasons and scored 49 goals in 94 appearances across all competitions.

Such was his performance that he scored 24 goals en route to picking up the EFL League One Golden Boot award and he won the League One Player of the Year award that season. His impressive performances put him on the radar of bigger clubs higher in the English football pyramid.

This convinced Brentford, then, a Championship team, to sign the striker in 2020. In his debut season, Toney led the Bees into the Premier League for the first time in their history by winning the Golden Boot and setting a division record with 31 goals scored during the regular season and two more in the playoffs.

Toney shone brightly during Brentford’s first season in the top division. He showed that he could step up once more, tallying 12 goals and dishing out five assists. Ivan Toney’s talents are undeniable, he also has an impressive 12 goals + assists against the Premier League’s big six teams in 28 appearances.

Ivan Toney’s Remarkable Goalscoring

Toney opened his first professional goal with a brace in a match against Dag and Red in 2014. In that match, he scored a remarkable overhead in that match.

At Peterborough United, Toney won the EFL League One Golden Boot and averaged more than a goal every two games. With 31 goals in the regular season and two more in the postseason, Toney won the Golden Boot in the Championship and set a division record with Bretford.

Ivan Toney has been quite successful at Brentford in the Premier League, scoring 36 goals in 81 games thus far and accumulating over 150 goals in his entire senior career. He scored his first goal for England on the 26th of March in the 2-2 draw with Belgium, the same match Kobbie Mainoo made his full international debut as a starter.

International Career

Ivan Toney, due to his Jamaican heritage, Ivan Toney was eligible to represent Jamaica. However, he reportedly turned down Jamaica’s invitation to help them qualify for the 2022 World Cup. His decision to turn down Jamaica reaffirmed his determination to represent England. His decision is similar to that of Max Aarons who holds dual English and Jamaican citizenship.

Toney was called up to the England national team for the 2022–2023 UEFA Nations League matches against Italy and Germany on September 15, 2022. However, he didn’t have the chance to make his international debut as he was an unused substitute. He was also called up to the squad for England’s first two UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying matches on March 16, 2023.

On March 26, he made his Wembley Stadium debut as an 81st-minute replacement in a 2-0 victory against Ukraine. Toney scored his first international goal on March 26, 2024, scoring a penalty in the 17th minute of a 2-2 draw with Belgium.

Personal Life

Ivan Toney has two kids, Ivan Toney Junior and Ikari Toney. Ivan Junior was born in August of 2019 from his previous relationship with interior decor consultant Katie. He is a dedicated Christian and still prays before every match he plays.

The star forward is also a fashion enthusiast, dripping out in cool and trendy fashion pieces. He also loves tattoos and they often have a deeper meaning than just body art for Toney. His 11:59 tattoo is a symbol of his strength of character. The phrase “Even the longest of days will eventually come to an end” was used to draw the 11:59 tattoo.

Toney has been subjected to racist taunts on the internet and has denounced the usage of athletes in anti-racism public relations projects. He is a well-known activist fighting against racial abuse towards people of colour.

Ivan Toney’s opposition to racism in sports was brought to light after his attacker was penalised for using social media to spread hateful messages. The offender, Antonio Neill, received a football ban and a suspended jail sentence, which is a major step in the fight against hate crimes in football.

Ivan Toney’s Gambling Ban

The Brentford talismanic striker was given an eight-month suspension for breaking the betting regulations of English football. Toney was banned from any soccer-related activities until January 16, 2024, and received a warning and a £50,000 fine.

Thirteen of Toney’s bets were on his team to lose, carrying the risk of a maximum penalty of a lifelong ban. However, the player’s gambling addiction was confirmed by consulting psychiatrist Dr. Philip Hopley’s testimony. The testimony played a crucial role in determining the length of Toney’s suspension.

As a testament to his strength of character, Toney needed only 19 minutes to return to his goalscoring habits against Nottingham Forest. It was a welcome relief for Thomas Frank and Brentford who sorely missed the forward.

Ivan Toney’s Career Milestones And Personal Awards

• Professional Debut – vs Bradford City, 13 November 2012
• First Senior Goal – vs Dagenham & Redbridge, 26 April 2014
• PFA EFL League One Team of the Year (2019/2020)
• EFL League One Player of the Year (2019/2020)
• EFL League One Golden Boot (2019/2020)
• Brentford’s Supporters’ Player of the Year (2020/2021)
• PFA EFL Championship Team of the Year (2020/2021)
• EFL Championship Team of the Year (2020/2021)
• EFL Championship Golden Boot (2020/2021)
• Premier League Debut – vs Arsenal, 13th August 2021
• First Premier League Goal – vs Aston Villa, 28 August 2021
• First Premier League Hat-trick -vs Norwich City, 5 March, 2022
• Premier League Goal of the Month (September 2022)
• International Debut – vs Ukraine, 26 March 2023
• First International Goal – vs Belgium, 26 March 2024

Conclusion

Ivan Toney’s biography is a captivating tale of triumph over adversity, talent, and tenacity. From humble beginnings to the pinnacle of the sport, his journey serves as an inspiration to aspiring footballers everywhere.

As he continues to make waves on the pitch and leave an indelible mark on the game, one thing is abundantly clear – Ivan Toney is a mercurial striker in every sense of the word, destined for greatness.

As footballersbiographies.com continues to chronicle the journeys of players past and present, Ivan Toney’s story serves as a reminder of the enduring allure of the beautiful game.