Footballer Ivan Toney has spoken out for the first time since receiving an eight month ban after admitting 232 breaches of the FA's betting rules. The Brentford striker spoke to Steven Bartlett on his Diary of a CEO podcast, revealing he felt that someone was out to get him and that he accepted some of the FA breaches just to get the investigation over with.

Explaining what it was like to have a World Cup appearance taken away from him, he says receiving a call up "didn't feel real". He said: "Having a chance to play for England was something I would never have dreamt off"

Asked why he was removed from the squad, Toney said: "I guess it comes down to allegations on the betting scandal. But I feel like personally I felt like it was a bit of a questionable time when they decided to bring it all out and then when they actually dealt with the situation come the end of the season is kind of like 'why'd you bring out...then?'"

Toney then went on to claim they, the FA, brought the story out at that time to prevent him playing for England and "to make it a bigger story". He added: "I feel like it was a bit of a coincidence when they decide to bring it all out and then having to be dealt with the punishment at the end of the season so far after.

"Yes I'm banned now but the biggest punishment for me was missing out on playing at the World Cup personally. I just felt down around the time, it felt like somebody's out to get me at that time to stop me from playing for England it was in my head."

In an FA grilling which lasted five hours, Toney was asked about about bets placed before playing for Brentford and was later asked to hand over his phone for the FA to scour.

Later in the interview, Bartlett states that one of Toney's former chairmen at Northampton Town was thrown out because of "a betting scandal" and that Toney own cousin was sanctioned for a breach of betting rules in 2007. The FA commission concluded that the striker was aware of the rules, but bet anyway.

Bartlett asked Toney, who has now been diagnosed with an addiction to betting: "So, you didn't know you could bet as a player?" to which Toney replied "No I think it was a grey area." Toney is due to return to footballing action in January 2024 and has already spoken of the club he'd like to join next.

The forward said: "I've been a Liverpool fan my whole life but from young I liked Arsenal, I like watching Arsenal from how they play and how passionate fans are, but yeah Liverpool boy at heart."