IVAN TONEY used his World Cup break positively as he found the back of the net from the halfway line.
Brentford drew 2-2 with German side Wolfsburg in a behind-closed-doors friendly.
And with the score level in the first period, the Bees striker, 26, picked up the ball on the halfway mark with eyes for goal.
After hesitating for a second, the hot shot looked up and struck it from range.
The Wolfsburg keeper was caught napping and the swirling effort hit the bottom corner, as seen on the club’s Instagram.
Following some fine club form, the uncapped forward was hoping to gatecrash Gareth Southgate’s England squad.
Toney has 58 goals in 105 appearances for Brentford including ten in 14 this term, but it was not enough to earn a call-up for Qatar 2022.
Following the announcement in November, The Sun on Sunday revealed Toney is the subject of a seven-month probe over allegations of gambling during his lower league spells.
The Brentford striker could face a huge ban after it was alleged he broke FA betting regulations 232 times between February 2017 and January 2021.
Toney played for Northampton, Peterborough and on loan at four other EFL clubs before joining the Bees in 2020.
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The striker took to Twitter to release a statement on the matter.
He wrote: “I’m aware of a story about me in a national newspaper.
“I have been assisting the Football Association with their enquiries and will not be making any comment until such investigation has reached its conclusion.
“I am a proud Englishman and it has always been my childhood dream to play for my country at a World Cup finals.”
Toney, who has captained his club seven times this season, did not make the plane but will be hoping to continue his goal-scoring streak into the second half of the Prem season.
He scored twice during his side’s stunning 2-1 win at Manchester City in November.
Fellow England star Kieran Trippier was penalised for breaking FA betting rules after telling a friend to “lump on” ahead of his transfer from Tottenham to Atletico Madrid in 2019.
Trippier did not directly place a bet but following an investigation he was banned from football activity for ten weeks and fined £70,000.
In 2016 Joey Barton was found to be in breach of the betting rules after placing 1,260 bets over a period of ten years.
The following April he was banned for 18 months, effectively ending his career as he retired instead of deciding to appeal his punishment.
