Ivan Toney has a tattoo of a tiger staring at a kitten’s reflection in a puddle on his torso. The Brentford striker has learned through the years how important it is to have the right mindset. He explains that this proves that it is irrelevant what people think of you. “If you think of yourself like a winner, you will act like a winner, and you will succeed. Be fearless by believing that you already are. That’s important not just for football but for life in general. No matter what other people think, if there is anything you desire, you must get it done.
Toney, whose only Premier League experience is from two substitute appearances for Newcastle as a teenager in 2015–16, the second of which came against Manchester United, will start up front for Brentford against Arsenal on Friday, insisting that the “big boys” don’t frighten them. All I can think about is how close United came to scoring after I gave the ball away. He then laughs heartily and declares, “After that, I stayed out of it.”
Chelsea was the victim of the other. When you’re young, you’re running around like a headless chicken because you’re so anxiоus to make a good impression. Five minutes here, ten minutes there, I was on trying to finish out games. It wasn’t quite my Premier League debut… I’m proud of my accomplishment, but my ultimate goal is to be a regular starter at striker in the Premier League. This is my moment to finally break through, therefore I plan on scoring a ton of goals this year.
Toney trades in goals for currency and considers his 11 goals from last year’s slow run-up penalties to be his crowning achievement. You know the drill: sneak up on the goalie, wait for him to make the first move, and then find the corner with your right foot. His technique takes cues from Paul Pogba and Bruno Fernandes, but he still spends hours in the gym honing it. Even when the manager is talking, I try to get in a reprimand. On sometimes, he loses his cool and yells at me. Because I’m out there practicing, blocking the goalies, I have to be hauled in. How much longer does he go on? To which I reply, “Until I win,” he laughs.
Toney has a friendly demeanor and is well-liked by his clubmates; he is known as a “gentle giant.” During Brentford’s Premier League media day, Brentford’s matchday announcer since 1969, Peter Gilham, smashed against the green screen and fell. Toney helped Gilham to his feet as the crowd laughed. He’s a unique player who can give defenders and the officials a hard time out there. When I play too roughly on the field, my mother scolds me. The officials probably despise me since I’m constantly in their ear, but I consider it to be par for the course. Even my mom scolds me for chatting up the officials too much. “Just get on with the game,” she implores. You have to put yourself out there and be the kind of terrible player that no one enjoys facing.
Lisa and Ivan Sr saw their sоn scоre a penalty against Swansea at Wembley in May, sending Brentfоrd tо the Premier League fоr the first time since 1947. The 25-year-оld admits he is a “mummy’s bоy at heart” and values the cоntributiоns оf his parents. They recоgnize the effоrt I put in tо be where I am nоw, and it makes them prоud оf the decisiоns I have made alоng the way. The path has been rоcky. They knоw hоw much I’ve fallen. They knоw I’ve wаnted tо quit and skip training sessiоns, but they’ve alsо watched me persevere thrоugh it. That’s what had them all chоked up and mute, and it drоve me nuts tо witness it.
He claims that being a big star and living in hotels across the country was a huge culture shоck for him, and that this is what prompted him to seek professional help. After six separate stints with Barnsley, Scunthorpe, Shrewsbury, and Wigan, his ego was bruised but he was eventually able to make the transfer to Peterborough, where he scored 49 goals in 94 appearances. “Going to a Premier League club at the age of eighteen, you’re going to enjoy the status, you’re going to love people seeing you, saying you play for Newcastle — ‘You play for a Premier League team, you’re Ivan Toney,’ but you kind of get lost in it. After being demoted from their previous position as a Premier League striker to that of a League One striker, they find themselves in Peterborough. Thoughts begin to wander all over the place.
When Toney first moved to Newcastle from Northampton in 2015, he was a teenager who was dazzled by the bright lights. How much has changed since then? “Very,” he replies. “I have to take care of everything. Yes, I am a parent. Not only do I serve as an example to my son, Ivan Jr., but also to my many adoring admirers. When I was younger, I had the mistaken idea that the world revolved around me, but now I know otherwise. When my wife Katie became pregnant, I was doing okay financially at Peterborough, but I remember thinking, “I want my son to have the best lifestyle he can have, and I need to provide for my missus and my parents.” Right, now is the time to push on,” I thought.
Toney, who has scored 71 league goals in the past three seasons, is aiming for a third consecutive golden boot despite running out of place in his trophy cupboard. Brentford is determined to leave their mark in the top flight (“We don’t want to just dip in and out, we are here to stay”). “I’m going to have to start putting them under the stairs,” he says with a grin. “I believe it is possible. How come it can’t be done? Having the team that I do, I’m confident in our chances of success. It’s a tall order, but I’m up for the challenge.