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Banned Brentford striker Ivan Toney says missing last year's World Cup was a bigger punishment than his eight-month suspension after warning his rivals he will come back "a different animal".

The 27-year-old has been suspended from all football-related activity for eight months after breaching Football Association betting rules.

Toney missed Brentford's final two games of the season and will be banned until January 16, 2024. He was also fined £50,000 after being charged with 262 breaches of FA rule E8 between February 2017, and January 2021.  The FA subsequently withdrew 30 of those breaches, but he admitted to the remaining 232 and he will not be allowed to train with his Brentford team-mates until September 17.

Those charges in November meant Toney, who has just one cap, missed out on a place in Gareth Southgate's 26-man squad for the 2022 World Cup.

"Support is good, but how I am, I don't want anyone to feel sorry for me," he told the Kick Game YouTube channel.

"Even though I miss eight months of football, that was the biggest punishment, to miss out on a World Cup - everyone's dream - it is bigger than missing eight months of football."

Toney, who won his first England cap as a late substitute in the 2-0 Euro 2024 qualifying win over Ukraine in March, was given a reduced ban because of a diagnosed gambling addiction, and he will not be allowed to play again until 17 January 2024.

"I done what I done before, the punishment is the punishment and get on with it," Toney said.

"I just have to focus on when I come back training. I want to be a different animal when I come back. It's going to be frightening."

Toney blasted 20 Premier League goals last season for the Bees and was called up to the England squad in September.