Brentford defender Ivan Toney is “very happy” to have signed a new contract with the club after he helped them into the FA Cup final.
Toney, who was out of contract at the end of the season, took over from injured centre-back Gael Griffin, who missed much of last season with a cruciate knee ligament injury, to become the first-choice central defender on the side, and he enjoyed a fine campaign. Brentford clinched the Championship title and FA Cup final, and they defeated Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley, before finally losing to Manchester United on penalties.
“Ivan is a very happy lad,” said Brentford’s head coach Mark Warburton. “He had a fantastic season. The lad is a driven young man. He had a great focus, he put in a lot of hard work and he’s got his rewards.”
For Warburton, Toney’s performances reinforced the case for spending more money in the Championship after the club agreed to sell Dean Smith to Wigan Athletic. The Brentford manager added: “It was an easy decision for me. I think it would be my responsibility to find out who we are going to recruit for the next season. You do need to bring in players, to try and compete, and Ivan will be one of those players.”
“The more options you can have, the more options it puts your options on. We are aiming to bring in competition and hopefully that means at times of the season, and there are going to be a few tight games, it means that you can rotate your squad and keep everyone fit.”
Toney, who signed a two-year deal, said: “It is always nice to sign a new contract. Last season was a fantastic one and I’m really happy to be here and obviously look forward to the next season. I would like to repay the manager for giving me this chance and hopefully push on and do well.”
Read the full story in tomorrow’s Telegraph.