Ivan Toney was a surprising selection in Thomas Tuchel’s World Cup squad, but the 30-year-old shouldn’t be underestimated.
The release of Thomas Tuchel’s England squad for the World Cup certainly caused discussion. The absence of Trent Alexander-Arnold and Phil Foden had been expected. Cole Palmer and Harry Maguire’s omissions were more surprising while 35-year-old Jordan Henderson’s inclusion was triggering to many.
Ivan Toney’s selection was also a surprise. Out of sight, out of mind, the former Brentford striker has spent the last two years in the Saudi Pro League. His decision to join Al-Ahli was seen by many as something that would prevent him from being a major part of the national team going forward.
And for the most part Toney has been a fringe figure for England. The centre forward has played just at international level since Euro 2024 when he was part of Gareth Southgate’s squad in Germany and looked to be on the outside looking in following an unsuccessful recall by Tuchel last year.
By Tuchel’s own admission, Toney failed to make a positive impression when he was called into the England squad for two matches against Andorra and Senegal last June. “I was not happy with the June camp,” said the German coach. “He knows that. And we had to clear the air after that. That was the first step to even start thinking about calling him up again, because I was not happy.”
In Saudi Arabia this season, though, Toney has been a goal-scoring machine. He won the Saudi Pro League golden boot, netting 32 goals in just 31 starts, outshining the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Sadio Mané, all of whom have failed to meet the standard being set by the former Brentford man.
As a focal point, Toney could be a useful option for England this summer. He certainly was at Euro 2024 when he made a game-changing contribution off the bench in the round of 16 against Slovakia. Had it not been for Toney, the Three Lions might have suffered an early exit from the tournament.
Major tournaments are often decided by moments and Toney is a big moments player. He has kept his scoring touch sharp in the Saudi Pro League and could be valuable in a scenario when Tuchel needs something to change the game state. As a ‘break glass in case of emergency’ player, taking Toney to the World Cup makes sense.
“We started talking about different scenarios and what would be the most offensive lineup if we are going 1-0 down with 15 minutes to play, ten minutes plus extra time we need a goal. We are pushing. We are around the box. Balls are flying into the box,” said Tuchel when explaining the thought process behind picking Toney.
“Then his name comes up constantly. Because he has a presence. Harry [Kane] loves to play with him, because he thinks that he takes the attention off him. He is even more of an old-school No. 9 than Harry himself.
“So would he be a player you would like to fall the ball down to if there is a ricochet in the box? Yes. Absolutely. Would he be the player that you want to have this touch? Does he take, with his presence, the attention off other strikers? Yes. He suddenly ticks a lot of boxes for us.”
Tuchel has done his due diligence, reportedly relying on his fellow countryman Matthias Jaissle (Al-Ahli manager) for insight on Toney as a player and a personality. His call-up won’t have been taken lightly. Tuchel, who was spoiled for choice by England’s depth of talent pool, has surely considered every aspect of his 26-man squad.
In the past, England managers have made the mistake of simply picking the best available players without any consideration for how they will fit together at a major tournament. Tuchel has taken a risk by leaving out so many elite-level performers, but England wanted someone to improve them as a team and the German is working through a process to achieve this.
Dominic Calvert-Lewin might feel aggrieved that his 14-goal season for Leeds United wasn’t enough to earn a place on the plane to the World Cup. He is operating in a stronger league than Toney who plays his club football in a division deemed only the 42nd-best in the world by Opta.
Danny Welbeck is another Premier League striker who potentially could have offered England something. The former Arsenal and Manchester United striker scored 13 league goals for Brighton this season and has experience of playing at major tournaments for the Three Lions.
Toney, however, has shown he can provide a different dimension. Tuchel was sure enough of this to bring him back into the fold after a bad first impression. It would have been easier to omit Toney than call him up, but the Al-Ahli striker is someone who could make a difference when it matters most.
(Images from IMAGO)
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