Ivan Toney says he “100 per cent knew” he would score on his Brentford return.
The 27-year-old striker scored a precise free-kick in the Bees’ 3-2 win over Nottingham Forest on Saturday evening. It was his first appearance in 259 days after serving an eight-month ban for breaching betting rules.
Brentford came into the crucial meeting having lost five straight league games, but goals from Toney, Ben Mee and Neal Maupay earned a first win since early December, moving the Bees up to 14th in the Premier League.
Toney, who captained the side in Christian Norgaard’s absence, said afterwards: “I 100 percent knew this would happen. I manifest things like this.
“Before the game, before I left my house, I thought, ‘We're winning today and I'm scoring.’ And I made it happen, which is good.”
Toney said of his return to competitive football: “It was a long time coming. I manifested this win when I was at home during the time I was out and I’m buzzing to be back scoring goals and winning with the team.”
Brentford manager Thomas Frank said: “Classic Ivan — loves the big stage. He thrives there. I must say that it was extra impressive for him to come back after eight months out and play the way he did. Scoring a clever goal, his link-up play, his presence, his work ethic, defending at set pieces was all super impressive.”
Frank joked: “I’m glad with our January signing. I couldn’t stop smiling before the game when I saw him talking with Neal [Maupay], Keano [Keane Lewis-Potter] and the other players. All those bits are crucial. I can put a gameplan together, but to nail it, you need good players to interact each other.”