Ivan Toney appeals to Gareth Southgate to be bold and start with two up front for England clash with Switzerland
IVAN TONEY would love it if Gareth Southgate took Jurgen Klinsmann’s advice and played two up top for England.
In his exclusive SunSport column on Wednesday, legendary Germany striker Klinsmann urged the Three Lions boss to pair Toney and Harry Kane together against Switzerland.
It followed Toney’s impressive cameo off the bench against Slovakia, as Southgate went gung-ho with his side 1-0 down in the last-16 clash.
The Brentford forward helped free up space for Jude Bellingham to fire home his 95th-minute overhead kick to make it 1-1.
Then Toney set up Kane for the extra-time winner, convincing Klinsmann 4-4-2 may be the way to go from the start in the quarter-final on Saturday.
Toney, 28, said: “Obviously I would like to be playing as a two but that is the gaffer’s choice. We have to respect that. Everyone wants to play, whether that is a two or as one I will do my best for the squad.”
Toney told Kane as the team prepared for extra-time that he loves getting to the far post so “just be there for the knock-downs”.
That is exactly what played out within a minute of the restart, as Toney’s header across goal allowed Kane to nod home from close range.
Speaking about a potential strike partnership with the England captain, Toney added: “We’ve played with each other and watched each other plenty of times.
“We’ll know what each other is the best at.
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“You put yourself about when there’s two up front.
“I’d knock it back to H and he could just pick up seconds and he was able to do that.”
Southgate revealed that Toney was “disgusted” with him at being sent on so late, with the clock already showing 94 minutes.
Toney explained it was purely because he was itching to get on sooner.
The ex-Peterborough and Northampton hitman said: “In the dying moments, it’s like, ‘When am I going to come on?’
“You’re looking at the clock thinking, ‘Now, now’. Then it came in the dying moments. But if I wasn’t annoyed sitting on the bench, then I see it as you wouldn’t have the right attitude and don’t really want to play football.
“I think my face said it all! Everything is sorted now, we’re friends — not like we weren’t friends — but we’re happy now and concentrating on the next game.”
Toney revealed he leant on the advice of a sports psychologist used by Brentford to shake off his frustration and get his head into the game.
The striker said: “There’s a guy called Michael Caulfield, who is always talking about controlling your emotions, and in that moment it was time to control your emotions.
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“Yes, I was annoyed but still 30 minutes to play and you’ve got to come out of that mood and focus. Because you cannot play any sport being angry, upset or annoyed.
“We haven’t spoken because he doesn’t text me. He thinks he annoys me when he texts me!”
That control will be vital against the Swiss, as the Three Lions walk a yellow-card tightrope. Bellingham, Phil Foden, Kieran Trippier, Conor Gallagher and Kobbie Mainoo are a booking away from missing the semi-final should England get there.
Toney said: “Everybody has to be careful now.
“You have to watch your step and make sure you don’t get involved in any silliness.”
After narrowly escaping a shootout against Slovakia, Toney insists he would not be put off taking a penalty for fear of racist abuse if he missed.
Bukayo Saka, Marcus Rashford and Jadon Sancho were all targeted by online trolls after failing to score when England lost the Euro 2020 final to Italy on spot-kicks.
Bees star Toney said: “I’m a confident person. If I score, I score. If I miss, I miss.
“For those who racially abuse a player for missing a penalty, more fool them.”