Brentford's Ivan Toney suspended from Premier League over breaching English Football Association's betting rules

Brentford striker Ivan Toney has been suspended for eight months by the English Football Association (FA) for breaching its betting rules.

• Ivan Toney has scored the third most goals in the Premier League this season
• Toney was initially charged with 262 breaches, but 30 were dismissed and he admitted to the remaining 232
• His ban will see him miss the remaining two games of this season and the first half of next season

The FA said the England international was banned "from all football and football-related activity with immediate effect" until January 16 next year, meaning he will miss Brentford's final two games of this season and the first half of next season, which runs from August 12, 2023 to May 19, 2024.

He was also fined 50,000 pounds ($93,736).

Toney had faced 262 charges of breaching the FA's betting rules between late February 2017 and late January 2021, but the FA said it "withdrew 30 of these breaches and he admitted to the remaining 232".

The FA said Toney's sanction was imposed "by an independent Regulatory Commission following a personal hearing".

Despite the threat of a ban hanging over him, Toney has been in outstanding form this season, scoring 20 Premier League goals.

Only Manchester City's Erling Haaland and Tottenham's Harry Kane have scored more than him in English football's top division.

His performances have been so impressive that he made his debut for England in March in a European Championship qualifier against Ukraine.

"I am naturally disappointed that I will be unable to play for the next eight months," Toney said in a statement posted on Twitter.

"The written reasons for the commission's decision have not yet been published, so I make no further comment at this point other than to thank my family and friends, Brentford FC and our fans for their continued support, through what has been a very difficult time.

"I now focus on returning to play the game I love next season."

Toney will be allowed to return to training with Brentford for the final four months of his ban.

His club also said it would wait for the FA's written reasons for the punishment "before considering our next steps".

Toney is not the first prominent player to be banned for violating gambling rules.

Former Manchester City and Newcastle midfielder Joey Barton was banned for 18 months, later reduced to five, in 2017 after admitting to placing 1,260 football-related bets over a period of more than 10 years.

Former Liverpool striker Daniel Sturridge received a four-month suspension in 2020 for breaching rules on inside information related to gambling