Former team-mate backs Ivan Toney to shine

Ivan Toney's surprise inclusion in England's 2026 World Cup squad is a reward for his "self-belief", according to one of the striker's former team-mates.

Toney, 30, made his professional debut at Northampton Town in 2012 and his former strike partner Marc Richards said the England international "certainly has an eye for goal".

Northampton-born Toney left the Cobblers in 2015 and now plays for Saudi Pro League side Al-Ahli following a career in England at clubs including Newcastle United, Peterborough United and Brentford.

Richards said Toney had "become a focal point for any team he plays for".

However, his inclusion by Thomas Tuchel was largely seen as a surprise, with the striker not having featured in an England squad for almost a year.

He is expected to serve as a back-up to captain Harry Kane at the World Cup, which is being held in the United States, Canada and Mexico and begins on 11 June.

Richards, now part of Northampton's coaching set-up, said Tuchel's decision to call-up Toney was "certainly from left field", but predicted Toney would "certainly feature".

He said: "If we [England] need a goal, the powers that be will rely on him to go on and come up trumps.

"Playing with him at such a young age, you would never have expected him to go on to play for England at a World Cup, but he's got the mindset, the audacity and the arrogance to be there and do what he needs to do."

After starting at Northampton, Toney moved to Newcastle but was sent out on six different loan spells before joining Peterborough.

He scored in all four of the top divisions in English football before settling at Brentford in 2020.

His career has also been marked by controversy. In May 2023 he was banned from playing for eight months for 232 breaches of the Football Association's betting rules.

Toney played for England at Euro 2024 and joined Al-Ahli in August 2024 for £40m.

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