Brentford striker Ivan Toney has been banned from football for eight months after he accepted breaking Football Association betting rules.

His suspension starts immediately, but the 27-year-old can return to training with Brentford four months before it ends on 17 September.

He will not be allowed to play again until 17 January, 2024.

Posting on his Instagram story, Toney said he was “naturally disappointed” at the verdict, and would make no further comment until the the independent Regulatory Commission publishes its written reasons.

“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.”

In a statement, the FA said: “His [Toney] sanctions were subsequently imposed by an independent Regulatory Commission following a personal hearing.

“The independent Regulatory Commission’s written reasons for these sanctions will be published in due course, and the FA will wait to review them before commenting further.”

The breaches Toney has been found guilty of took place between 25 February 2017 and 23 January 2021, during which time Toney represented Scunthorpe United, Wigan Athletic, Peterborough United and Brentford.

Toney has scored 20 goals in 33 Premier League appearances this season, helping Brentford into ninth place in the table.

He will miss Brentford’s trip to Tottenham on Saturday and the final day of the season at home to league leaders Manchester City on 28 May.

Brentford say they note the FA’s decision and are awaiting the publication of the written reasons before “considering our next steps”.

Toney won his first England cap as a late substitute in the 2-0 Euro 2024 qualifying win over Ukraine in March, having received his first call-up to Gareth Southgate’s squad last September.

England defender Kieran Trippier was banned for 10 weeks by the FA in December 2020 for giving out information for others to bet on his transfer from Tottenham to Atletico Madrid.

In 2017, Joey Barton – then a Burnley player – was banned for 18 months, reduced to 13 on appeal, after admitting placing 1,260 football-related bets over a 10-year period.

Analysis

This is a major blow for Toney whose career for both club and country is now uncertain.

Any assessment of the punishment he has received must wait until the FA reveals more details about the reasons for their decision, the precise nature of Toney’s gambling, and why he acted the way he did for so long and so many times.

Some will say the FA had little choice but to hand out such a sanction, and point out that Toney should have known the rules and stuck to them.

But others will point to football’s close relationship with the gambling industry, especially in the form of advertising and shirt sponsorship, and ask if the sport’s authorities should shoulder some responsibility too.

After all, Toney’s club Brentford are among many clubs sponsored by a betting company. And he is far from the first player to fall foul of the rules. There will be calls for him to be supported as well as punished.

The FA will face questions over the time this process has taken and the fact Toney will serve so much of his suspension during the summer.

Many fear the influence of the links between football and the gambling industry on fans too, with concerns it normalises betting, especially among young supporters.

Expect renewed scrutiny on the game’s ties to gambling and the need for greater education of players in the wake of this latest controversy.