How Ivan Toney convinced Thomas Tuchel he deserved an England World Cup spot

Eyebrows were raised by the inclusion of Ivan Toney in England’s 26-man World Cup squad, with the striker currently plying his trade in the Saudi Pro League.

Nevertheless, the former Brentford frontman boasts an impressive pedigree and made his mark for the Three Lions at Euro 2024.

Here, DAZN News reporter Ross Heppenstall analyses the furore surrounding Toney’s World Cup selection and what he will bring to Thomas Tuchel’s squad.

Toney’s intriguing back story

Toney began his career at hometown club Northampton before making a move to Newcastle in 2015, but spent most of his time there out on loan at Barnsley, Shrewsbury, Scunthorpe and Wigan.

Then came a move to Peterborough United in 2018, where he proved hugely prolific before earning a switch to Brentford in 2020. 

He thrived at the Bees and scored 72 goals in 141 games, including 36 in three seasons in the Premier League.

The 30-year-old missed the first half of the 2023-24 season with a gambling ban but came back from that to feature in England's run to the Euro 2024 final.

He set up Harry Kane’s winner in the 2-1 win over Slovakia and netted a penalty in the shoot-out against Switzerland.

In August 2024, Toney left Brentford to join Saudi Pro League side Al Ahli for £40million.

Alex Livesey/Getty Images

How has Toney fared in Saudi?

The rangy forward has bagged a whopping 49 goals in all competitions this campaign.

He is also on course to win the Saudi Golden Boot this season, having scored 32 goals for Al-Ahli.

True, the Saudi League is not the Premier League, but Toney is a player bang in form and brimming with confidence right now.

That is why Tuchel has picked him ahead of the likes of Leeds striker Dominic Calvert-Lewin and Brighton veteran Danny Welbeck.

DAZN/FIFA

 Where will he fit into Tuchel’s plans?

Harry Kane, as captain, talisman and goalscorer extraordinaire, is the first name on England’s teamsheet. That cannot be denied.

He will lead the line this summer for the Three Lions on the back of another staggering season at club level with Bayern Munich.

Kane’s record-breaking season has earned him the Bundesliga's top scorer award for the third year in a row, becoming the first ever player to win it in each of his first three seasons.

The England captain helped Bayern seal the title with four games to spare, so the likes of Toney and Aston Villa’s Ollie Watkins will be forced to play second fiddle to the Three Lions’ greatest-ever goalscorer.

Yet Tuchel has hinted he could rotate his side at the World Cup and that may provide opportunities for the likes of Toney.

Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images

What has Tuchel said about Toney’s inclusion?

The England boss spoke well of Toney at this morning’s press conference as he explained his selection of the former Brentford hitman.

Significantly, Tuchel is well acquainted with Toney’s head coach at Al Hilal, Matthias Jaissle.

The highly-rated Jaissle came through Stuttgart’s youth system under Tuchel before joining Ralf Rangnick's Hoffenheim in 2007.

Tuchel said: “Ivan’s inclusion was also a bit of a surprise to us but when it came down to all different kinds of scenarios, he was back in the picture.

“I had fantastic feedback from his club coach, who was my player and I have a close connection with him.

“There was always fantastic feedback about Ivan’s role there, about his ability, his fitness.

“We could see that he still collects the numbers. I think he has very special skills that could help us, the situations and scenarios when we are chasing a result.”

FAYEZ NURELDINE/AFP via Getty Images

Toney will be an ideal weapon off the bench if England are chasing a game, according to Tuchel.

The Three Lions boss explained: “I think Ivan can be a very valuable addition to Harry Kane, he can be present in the box when we are pushing for a goal.

“He can take attention off other strikers, he has a natural presence within the box, he is a natural finisher, he can help us with set pieces, he is very strong in there.

“He’s very good in using his body and not to forget, he is a world class penalty taker. He ticks some boxes that we wanted to be ticked.”

 

Watch World Cup archive, highlights and documentaries for FREE on DAZN

DAZN is the home of FIFA+ , a vast library of football on-demand content including World Cup archive, iconic documentaries, player profiles, live matches and both full match replays and highlights.

Watch it all for FREE on DAZN on smart TVs, phones, tablets, streaming devices, games consoles and web browsers.

FIFA+ includes:

• FIFA World Cup archive - full match replays of all matches from Brazil 1970 to Qatar 2022
• World Cup goals - the best goals from each tournament; every goal from every nation from every tournament
• Original documentaries - including Mo: A Global Icon; Golden Boot: The Documentary; After Diego
• Icons of the game - From Pelé to Cristiano Ronaldo
• Behind-the-scenes content
• Live matches from around the world