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Ivan Toney has admitted that he was annoyed at Gareth Southgate during England’s match with Slovakia.
The striker made his first appearance of the 2024 European Championships on Sunday, as he came off the England bench in the final seconds of injury time.
Toney had just three appearances for England ahead of the tournament, making his debut in September 2022 in the UEFA Nations League.
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After the match manager Gareth Southgate joked that Toney was ‘disgusted’ at being introduced so late into a game that the Three Lions desperately needed to score in.
But the Brentford striker set the record straight, admitting that, while he was annoyed at the situation, he was ready to play any role at the tournament.
Speaking in a press conference on Wednesday, he said: "It's always going to be tough.
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"It's tough for all of us as we play week in, week out for our clubs. I have been in this position before and when I get an opportunity I'll take it."
After a difficult season which saw him banned for eight months for breaching FA betting rules, the 28-year-old admitted that he had been seeing a sports psychologist at Brentford.
"At my club, there is a guy called Michael Caufield [a sports psychologist] and he talks about controlling your emotions," Toney said.
"Yes, I was annoyed but there was still 30 minutes of football to play [including extra-time] and you have got to come out of that mood and focus.
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"I feel like, people call them substitutes, others finishers. I think you have to be ready and there's more than 11 players needed to win a tournament."
Toney impressed in his cameo on Sunday, as he assisted Harry Kane’s winning goal in extra time just moments after Jude Bellingham’s bicycle kick equalised the match.
And, speaking after the match, manager Southgate expanded on his comments claiming the striker was ‘disgusted’ at his lack of playing time.
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"I could just tell from his face what he was thinking, and I could understand it,” Southgate told talkSPORT.
“I’m putting him on with a minute to go – any player is going to think ‘I’ve been sat for the tournament, and you’ve not used me’ but what I said to him was that ‘I know this isn’t a good time and I know it’s not how you’d like it, but there could be one moment’.
“I think he’s just about forgiven me now!”
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Topics: Ivan Toney, England, Euro 2024, Gareth Southgate, Brentford, Football
Ben McCrum