Ivan Toney says he never feared Saudi Arabia move would end his England career
The 29-year-old has been recalled for the first time since making a money-spinning switch from Brentford to Al-Ahli, shortly after helping Gareth Southgate's side reach the Euro 2024 final.
Toney was overlooked by interim boss Lee Carsley in the autumn and left out of Thomas Tuchel's first selection in charge but the England boss stressed in March that it was nothing to do with him playing in the Saudi Pro League.
The striker appreciated the German coach calling him with that explanation and is even more grateful after recalling him for Saturday's World Cup qualifier against Andorra and the home friendly against Senegal next week.
😃 @ivantoney24 pic.twitter.com/vnPmBjmDiv
— England (@England) June 2, 2025
'It's always tough missing out on a squad, but I think that's part of the game,' Toney said.
'You have to be strong, you have to stick at it and keep doing what you do best and I managed to do that and I managed to get the recall, which was a nice feeling.'
Asked if he thought moving to the Saudi Pro League may affect his England chances, he said at their training camp in Girona: 'No.
'You see with me I think if you're just doing the right thing, playing football, playing well and scoring goals – a striker's job, that's what you're in a team to do – it doesn't matter where you play in the world, I feel like you should still get the chance.
'I think it's been proven me being me being back here and being back amongst the boys.
'It feels good to see the faces again and it feels good to get stuck in.'
Toney admitted the first month following August's switch was 'tough' but credits the string of loans during the early part of his career for aiding his adaptation to new surroundings in the Middle East.
The striker went onto score 23 goals in 30 Saudi Pro League appearances for Al-Ahli, helping the side to win the AFC Champions League Elite competition.
💚💚💚💚💚 pic.twitter.com/RGcKfAJwko
— Ivan Toney (@ivantoney24) May 4, 2025
'I feel like I'm in good form,' Toney said. 'As you see, I'm here, I'm still scoring goals.
'I have a lot to give. All the time I want to improve, become a better player and try and help others around me.
'So, hopefully I can keep doing that and be in the mix for the World Cup.'
Toney is bidding to be among a number of Saudi-based players starring at next year's World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
There is a push for more stars to head there – with Al-Hilal falling short in their bid to coax Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes – and the striker believes the competition is far better than some suggest.
'Everyone always has their opinion,' Toney said. 'They're going to have their opinion on everything.
'You have to witness it and be there to realise what it's like. You can't have an opinion on something you've never seen.
'People always just assume certain things about things without seeing it, so I suggest people have a look before they start making judgements.
'It's tough, it's not easy. There's some good footballers and it's going in the right direction and I'm sure it will continue to do that over the years.'
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