Ivan Toney has issued a public apology on social media after a video surfaced on the striker saying "f*** Brentford".
The highly-rated forward is currently in Dubai with Bees teammate Bryan Mbeumo during the Premier League's winter break.
Toney's goals helped fire the west Londoners to the Premier League last term, but the shock clip has caused a stir.
The video has gone viral on social media which has seen Brentford spark an investigation.
"Brentford FC are aware of the video and are investigating," a club spokesperson told Mirror Football on Friday evening.
Toney has now broken his silenced, insisting his action were "unacceptable" whilst also claiming the video had been manipulated.
He said on Instagram : "I am aware of a video of me that was published on social media today, taken in Dubai where I have been on holiday during the winter break. In it, I used language that was unacceptable.
"The video was cut short and edited, but I have to accept the impact this has had and I realise I should not have put myself in that position.
"I have explained to the gaffer what happened and apologised to him but I also want to apologise to all Brentford fans.
"I respect the way you all support the team and I have to say how much I love playing for the club and you.
"I'll be back training next week, working hard to score more goals to win us more games for the rest of the season."
Toney has showed his quality in glimpses this term, scoring recently against Manchester United.
His total for the season stands at seven, following his record-breaking campaign last time out.
Brentford signed Toney, formerly of Newcastle United, from Peterborough to replace Ollie Watkins back in 2020.
He has long had the support of his manager, who this year praised his resilience.
Thomas Frank said: "He’s faced a lot of setbacks in his career and that’s where you get tested on your resilience. And he’s shown himself to be very resilient, and he’s got that tough mentality and belief.
"Ivan is very intelligent, because he’s reflecting, and he deserves a lot of praise himself for also coming into a well-run club and listening to all the small bits and adding extra layers to his development and performance."
Frank and his assistant Brian Riemer recently signed contract extensions to stay at the Brentford Community Stadium until the end of the 2024-25 campaign.
The west Londoners have enjoyed a positive first half of the season and look well placed to secure top flight status.
