Brentford makes Ivan Toney captain on his return from 8-month ban for betting violations

Toney this week completed a suspension imposed after he admitted to 232 breaches of the English Football Association’s betting rules.

Toney will take the captain’s armband in the absence of the injured Christian Norgaard. | Photo Credit: AP

Ivan Toney will not only start in his first game back from an eight-month ban for gambling violations, he’ll be Brentford’s captain.

The 27-year-old striker will take the captain’s armband in the absence of the injured Christian Norgaard when Brentford hosts Nottingham Forest on Saturday in a Premier League match.

Toney this week completed a suspension imposed after he admitted to 232 breaches of the English Football Association’s betting rules.

“He will start tomorrow, and he will also lead the team out of the tunnel, he will be the captain because Christian is injured,” manager Thomas Frank said Friday at a pre-match press conference.

Toney on Wednesday celebrated his return by posting a GIF on X, formerly Twitter, that said: “FREE!” An independent commission said in its report that the suspension could have been longer if not for the diagnosis of a gambling addiction.