Ivan Toney Opens Up on His Addiction to Gambling and Eight-month Ban from Football | Football/Soccer

Ivan Toney has opened up on his addiction to gambling following his eight-month ban from football.

The Brentford striker is banned until January 16, 2024, after admitting 232 breaches of the Football Association’s betting rules.

In a tell-all interview with YouTube channel, the Diary of a CEO, Toney revealed that he no longer gambles and that he initially lied to investigators.

He also recalled that the scandal led to him being turned away by car insurers and restaurants.  

The 27-year-old said: ‘I remember at the time when there was allegations, I wanted to go to a restaurant and they were like “no you can’t – we’re not taking you”.

‘I was like “what do you mean?” And then it was “the allegations, we’re not allowing you in or something like this. I was actually so confused. I was thinking “for starters, it’s allegations and second of all you are a restaurant how can you not let someone in because of bad press?”

‘I was just baffled, and my car insurance, they wouldn’t insure me due to the whole scandal. And I was like “car insurance? They won’t have me on their books?”. It was baffling.’