England boss Gareth Southgate has warned Ivan Toney he must make the most of a rare start when the Three Lions face Belgium tonight.
The Brentford striker has scored four goals from 10 Premier League matches since returning from suspension in January, having banned for breaching betting rules.
Ollie Watkins got the nod up top on Saturday as England lost to Brazil, with Endrick scoring the only goal of the game.
But Toney is primed to start against Belgium and Southgate, speaking prior to the contest, has warned the 28-year-old he must make the most of the opportunity.
England boss Gareth Southgate is set to start Ivan Toney against Belgium
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“You can’t hide that fact. He knows. It would be his first start so you’ve got to bear that in mind,” he said when asked about Toney.
“With England, that’s the landscape — you don’t get hundreds of opportunities.
“I think every player recognises that’s the world we live in.”
Southgate also insists Toney is more than just a ‘target man’ and insists he’s got the ability to make an impact at international level.
“He’s a confident guy, he comes in on the back of a good run of form with his club,” continued the 53-year-old.
“He will be on the field on Tuesday, no question.
“The quality of his football can be underestimated. His passing, his link play.
“You look at him being a big guy but he’s not just a target man.”
Another talent of Toney’s is his ability to convert penalties.
And Southgate admits it’s a ‘great asset’ to have, especially with the Three Lions struggling in shootouts over the years.
“It’s a great asset to have,” he said.
“Confidence is crucial, especially for forward players. That swagger, that self-belief is crucial.
“All of the top forward players have it.”
Belgium are one of the best teams on the planet and, like Brazil, will be a big test for Southgate’s side.
It’s something the England boss is fully aware of and he wants his players to prove they can beat a Euro 2024 rival ahead of the tournament this summer.
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England boss Gareth Southgate wants his side to rise to the challenge against Belgium
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“Belgium have played a different 11 probably, or close to, so they’re going to be a bit fresher,” he stated.
“But similar to (Brazil) we’re talking about a high-level game, brilliant experience for the players, a chance to see new players again, build towards the summer.
“I’m not disappointed with the level of performance. I know in the end when you lose the game then there will always be a negative reaction to losing.
“But my thought was, with 15 minutes to go given all the changes that we’d made, I thought the crowd was already with the team.
“They could see a lot of young players going in and doing well, a lot of very inexperienced players going in and doing well, so I’m not down on the performance of the team at all.”
England striker Ivan Toney has been praised for his penalty prowess ahead of Belgium showdown
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England last hosted Belgium at Wembley back in October 2020 in the Nations League.
The Three Lions won 2-1 with Marcus Rashford and Mason Mount both on target.
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