Ivan Toney scored on his first England start in the friendly draw with Belgium and is now aiming to make up for lost time by securing a place at Euro 2024.

The Brentford striker won and scored a penalty either side of a Youri Tielemans brace for the visitors, who looked on course for a Wembley win before Jude Bellingham’s last-gasp effort secured a 2-2 draw.

It was Toney’s full England debut and just his second cap, coming exactly a year after his first.

For the majority of that year Toney was sidelined through suspension, having been banned for eight months after breaching Football Association betting rules.

He returned to action for Brentford in January and has scored four goals for the Bees since, while England boss Gareth Southgate kept a watching brief.

“It was always going to be hard to watch knowing I should have been there,” Toney said of England games he missed while banned.

“But that’s done and dusted now. I can’t change it. There’s no point dwelling on something I can’t change because it’ll just hurt me even more.

“But hopefully I can make the Euros squad and put things right. I try to be confident, but let’s see what happens.”

There was a long delay between Toney winning the spot-kick for a foul by Jan Vertonghen and then coolly converting from 12 yards.

For Toney, though, the outcome of the penalty was never in doubt.

“It felt very good,” he told BeIN Sports.

“This morning I spoke to my friends and I said I feel a penalty today and when I ran in behind, I felt the contact and there was no doubt that it was a penalty.

“So it is just patience, really – wait for the keeper to get on the line and do what I do best.

“I practise them all the time, every day and just pretend it is a training pitch and put in the back of the net and I’ve done that.”

While Toney impressed and got off the mark for England, there were other standout displays.

Manchester United teenager Kobbie Mainoo’s midfield performance was particularly eye-catching, while Jarrod Bowen enjoyed arguably his best night in an England shirt too.

The 27-year-old West Ham forward looked sharp on his seventh cap but saw his first England goal chalked off when VAR ruled him offside as he headed home in the first half.

Bowen is also hopeful of squeezing into Southgate’s ranks in Germany.

“There is no question I want it more than ever,” he told BBC Radio 5Live. “The main thing now is to go back to West Ham, hit the ground running there, keep doing what I’ve been doing all season and hope I get the opportunity.

“There is a lot of football to be played before that squad is named. I have been in a good place this season and the main thing was to continue to do what I’ve been doing.”

Gareth Southgate praised Jude Bellingham’s never-say-die attitude after saving England from defeat against Belgium at the end of an international break that provides plenty of food for thought ahead of the Euros.

Among the favourites for glory this summer, the side third in FIFA’s world rankings stepped up preparations with a pair of high-level friendlies against the nations directly behind them in those standings.

Brazil are fifth and struck late on Saturday to inflict a first defeat on England in 15 months, which fourth-placed Belgium looked set to compound at rainy Wembley three days later.

Youri Tielemans opened the scoring after a Jordan Pickford error, with a Lewis Dunk mistake resulting in the Aston Villa midfielder scoring again after Ivan Toney had converted a penalty on his first senior start.

Fellow full debutants Ezri Konsa and, in particular, 18-year-old Kobbie Mainoo also impressed in a friendly that ended 2-2 after Bellingham struck at the end of second half stoppage time.

“I liked it because I know the rubbish we would have got if we lost two games on the bounce,” the Real Madrid midfielder told Channel 4.

“These are two games that are going to stand us in good stead going into the Euros. I know people will be negative but you have to take these games for what they are.

“You’ve got to keep perspective. We had a lot of lads making debuts (this week) and a lot of lads I’ve never played with. We created a lot of chances. I should have scored (previously). I was happy I could make it up to the team.”

England boss Southgate told the post-match press conference: “Jude, of course, is the headline.

“That competitive spirit, that desire not to lose, desire to win in the end, was decisive in getting the late goal.

“But I thought the whole team showed that throughout the game and recovered from setbacks with a pretty inexperienced team, really, against a team that have got some very, very good players. Very pleased with a lot of what I saw tonight.”

Bellingham pulled the Euro 2024 hopefuls through at the end of a challenging international meet-up marred by injuries.

John Stones joined England’s eye-watering absentee list when limping off with an adductor issue within 10 minutes on Tuesday, when Mainoo’s man-of-the-match performance was among a number of impressive displays.

“The great thing is definitely some players have emerged positively from the opportunities they’ve had,” Southgate said reflecting on the Brazil and Belgium friendlies.

“We’ve perhaps got more depth in one respect, but the injuries are a concern. We’ve got so many players missing at the moment, and we’ve still got the real heat of the season to come, with the intensity of the games, what’s resting on the games.

“We’re not going to know what we’re left with until right until the end but we’ll just have to make the best decisions that we possibly can.”

Southgate praised Toney, Jarrod Bowen and James Maddison for their attacking impact against Belgium, while Anthony Gordon has also earned plaudits during the week.

Southgate has plenty to mull over ahead of announcing his provisional squad on May 21, which has to be whittled down to a 23-man group by June 8.

“In terms of knowing the 23, there’s so many unknowns at the moment in terms of who might be available,” Southgate said.

“So, yes, these performances were very important for players to be able to see whether or not they could play against high level opposition.

“But equally the way they play between now and the end of the season with their club, in big matches is going to have a high tariff as well so we will track all of that.”

Jude Bellingham struck at the death to salvage England a deserved draw against Belgium on a night of impressive auditions in the final match before Gareth Southgate’s Euro 2024 selection.

Three days on from the late loss to Brazil, the absentee-hit Euro 2020 runners-up faced another high-level test as the side third in FIFA’s world rankings hosted the team in fourth.

England were heading for another Wembley defeat after Youri Tielemans punished first-half errors either side of Ivan Toney’s penalty, only for Bellingham to secure a 2-2 draw in stoppage time.

Toney did well on his first start, as did fellow full debutants Ezri Konsa and, in particular, 18-year-old Kobbie Mainoo in the final friendly before Southgate names an expanded Euros squad on May 21.

What the papers say

Gareth Southgate is the top choice of Manchester United co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe to replace Erik ten Hag as manager in the summer, reports the Star.

According to The Times, Nottingham Forest may be forced to sell star players by the end of June to avoid losing more points for breaching financial rules.

Tottenham, Chelsea, and West Ham are all keen on England striker Ivan Toney, reports The Sun.

Social media round-upPlayers to watch

Jack Grealish: HITC writes that Manchester City might let the England forward leave this summer, with the club understood to be raising funds to boost their squad.

Alexander Isak: The Newcastle and Sweden striker is on Arsenal’s summer shortlist, says Football Insider.

Erling Haaland: The Manchester City striker limped out of training while on international duty with Norway, alarming his club, writes The Guardian.

Jarrad Branthwaite and Anthony Gordon have received their first England call-ups but there was no place for Kalvin Phillips in Gareth Southgate’s last squad before making his Euro 2024 selection.

Joe Gomez, who won the last of his 11 senior caps in October 2020, has returned from the international wilderness for March’s Wembley friendlies against Belgium and Brazil.

Ivan Toney is back involved at the first opportunity after serving an eight-month Football Association betting ban, but Raheem Sterling was conspicuous by his absence once again.

Phillips has been dropped after a torrid run of form since he joined West Ham on loan in January.

Phillips was at fault for a goal on his debut against Bournemouth before he was sent off at Nottingham Forest last month and hooked at half-time of Sunday’s 2-2 draw at home to Burnley.

England boss Gareth Southgate said: “Well, I think he knows exactly what we think of him. A good version of him is an important player for us and that’s why we’ve supported him as we have.

“Unfortunately his form hasn’t been good enough and I’ve spoken to him about that. He understands.

“He has all the attributes to force his way back in. He just needs to find that rhythm and confidence because there is an outstanding player in there.”

Mohamed Salah scored on his Premier League return as Liverpool eased to a 4-1 win at Brentford.

Coming off the bench for his first appearance since injuring a hamstring on duty with Egypt at the Africa Cup of Nations, he netted his side’s third goal moments after making a brilliant assist for Alexis Mac Allister to make it 2-0.

Darwin Nunez had opened the scoring with a superbly-taken chip to cap a wonderful counter attack in the first half as Jurgen Klopp’s league leaders ensure they would finish the weekend still on top.

Ivan Toney continued his goalscoring form since returning from his gambling ban to briefly give Brentford hope at 3-1.

It was a fleeting moment of optimism, quickly extinguished when substitute Cody Gakpo stroked home Liverpool’s fourth in the closing minutes.

What the papers say

Manchester United have reportedly determined their ceiling for Brentford striker Ivan Toney. According to the Daily Star, the Red Devils value the 27-year-old at £70million, and will not be drawn into a bidding war should competition arise for Toney’s signature.

Elsewhere, the Daily Mirror says Arsenal scouts are keeping a close eye on Athletic Bilbao winger Nico Williams. The Gunners could chase Williams as an option to ease the pressure on Bukayo Saka, however the 21-year-old is also said to be attracting interest from a number of heavyweights including Real Madrid and Liverpool.

The Evening Standard reports AC Milan lead several Serie A sides in expressing interest in 23-year-old Arsenal defender Jakub Kiwior.

Social media round-upPlayers to watch

Thomas Partey: Spanish outlet Fichajes says the Arsenal midfielder is being circled by Juventus.

Alphonso Davies: Real Madrid, Manchester City and Liverpool are all tracking the Bayern Munich left-back, according to the website HITC.

Thomas Frank hinted Ivan Toney could stay at Brentford beyond the end of the season but accepted the striker’s long-term future lies away from the Gtech Stadium.

A magazine in his native Denmark this week quoted Frank saying the 27-year-old is likely to be sold in the summer but he has now clarified that “a couple of scenarios” remain on the table.

Toney, who returned in January from an eight-month ban for breaching FA gambling rules, is out of contract at the end of next season and has stated his desire to play for a club higher up the Premier League table than the Bees.

He scored on his comeback as Brentford beat Nottingham Forest and again in defeat against Tottenham, but the team remain in relegation trouble with just three points separating them from the bottom three.

Frank, who gave his interview to Tipsbladet in Danish, urged caution in relying on translated text but affirmed the point that Toney ultimately will leave.

“You always need to be aware of translation,” he said. “Google Translate is not always the best.

“It’s the same message as the whole time, I would love him to stay forever. The reality is he’s got one more year left on his contract in the summer. I think he’s been pretty open about playing for a top club in the future.

“There’s a couple of scenarios; he leaves in the summer, he leaves in the winter, or he stays until the end.

“If he’s leaving – whatever, summer, winter or the summer after – I think it will be fantastic seeing him playing for a top club.”

Frank would not be drawn on reports that Neal Maupay was threatened by Manchester City’s Kyle Walker during Monday’s meeting, after the Brentford forward allegedly made remarks about Walker’s family.

Maupay, who has scored five goals in his last five games including the one that gave his side the lead against the champions before going on to lose 3-1, has been accused of provoking the England defender.

“I don’t want to go into speculation about that,” said Frank. “For me, it’s done, it’s over. I don’t know what they said.

“I see a player that played a year and a half at another club, didn’t score a goal, now he’s got five on the bounce for us. He’s doing very well for us.

“I understand the question. He can get a little bit in the middle of things sometimes. Life is balance.

“I think some players need it more than others to get going, and we need him to get going. But I think there’s a balance where you don’t cross the line.

“It’s important he does enough so he can be firing but also maybe not attract so much attention.”

Frank confirmed midfielder Josh Dasilva will undergo surgery on a knee injury sustained in training and will be out for a significant period.

“I feel for Josh massively,” he said. “He has been very unlucky and he’s a player I’ve been working with for a long time, so our relationship has grown.

“He’s a lovely person so it’s tough to take. We will give him the best support”

Brentford are expecting to sell Ivan Toney this summer – manager Thomas Frank has revealed.

Toney was linked with a January move away from west London but Frank insisted no bids were received for the England striker.

The 27-year-old has recently returned to action after an eight-month ban for breaching Football Association gambling guidelines.

Frank had maintained throughout January that Toney, who made his England debut in 2023 and has hit 34 goals in 71 Premier League appearances, would stay put.

But now he seems to be bracing to lose one of his key men at the end of the season.

“It is relatively obvious that Ivan Toney will probably be sold this summer,” Frank told Danish magazine Tipsbladet.

“It can be ‘expensive’ to sell your best player, but conversely I also know that this summer he only has one year left on his contract with us.

“We also know what he is worth. I don’t think there are many strikers in the world who are better than him right now.”

Asked on transfer deadline day whether keeping Toney in January proved Brentford have grown as a club, Frank said: “I think with any player we have a contract in general so at the end of the day we decide if they leave or not.

“Of course money talks and we also know that we are a ‘selling’ club as you could call it – we know that is part of the strategy.”

Frank doubled down on that outlook in his Tipsbladet interview, adding: “I would prefer to keep Toney but one day it could be fun to see him in a top team.

“This winter, we actually had no bids for him, but it would surprise me if there aren’t a lot of clubs interested in him.”

Meanwhile, Brentford also confirmed Josh Dasilva has suffered another serious injury setback.

The 25-year-old has struggled with a number of issues in recent seasons and will now go back under the knife.

“Unfortunately, Josh suffered an injury in training over the weekend, while preparing for the Man City game,” head of medical Neil Greig told the club’s official website.

“Subsequent imaging has shown a significant injury to ligaments in his right knee, which will require surgery to repair.

“He’s previously shown an outstanding attitude to adversity and injury recovery, and we have absolute confidence in his capability to fully recovery from this setback.”

Brentford have condemned the “vile harassment” of Ivan Toney after the England striker was the target of online racist abuse.

The Premier League club also labelled the response of social media companies to such incidents as “underwhelming”.

Toney, 27, has previously received racist comments on Instagram posts and Brentford are now calling for more to be done after another case occurred.

“We are angered and frustrated to report that Ivan Toney has been subjected to racist abuse on Instagram once more,” a club statement read.

“We have initiated investigations into this vile harassment which we condemn in the strongest terms.

“Sadly, this isn’t the first time Ivan has had to deal with this. A similar incident occurred just four weeks ago, leading us to identify an alleged perpetrator whom we reported to the authorities. To date, we have yet to see any action taken against that individual.”

The Bees called for anyone found to have posted racist comments to be prosecuted and help bring an end to such incidents in the future.

“In general, the response from social media platforms to these ongoing issues has been underwhelming,” the statement continued.

“Their solutions, such as filters to simply hide the abuse may safeguard the players, miss the mark entirely and do not discourage the offenders. Without real consequences for those responsible, the cycle is doomed to repeat.

“We do have faith that things can change. We appreciate the dialogue that we have with the likes of Meta but we call for more decisive and urgent action to combat online hate. We call for prompt investigations, and importantly, we call for criminal prosecutions.

“We will continue to work with the authorities and the Premier League and to support our players as we tackle this awful online abuse.”

Pep Guardiola believes Manchester City are coming up against an “exceptional player” in Ivan Toney as they travel to Brentford on Monday.

Toney, who scored twice when the Bees won at the Etihad Stadium last season, recently returned to action after serving an eight-month ban for breaching betting regulations.

The 27-year-old forward has struck in both appearances since completing his suspension and Guardiola is pleased to see such talent back on the field.

The City manager said: “He’s an exceptional player. Not just with the long balls, with keeping (the ball) and set-pieces, with the penalties as a guarantee.

“For many things they can link with him and he’s an extraordinary player.

“I’m so happy he is back and hopefully that period is forgotten in his life and for his family. Exceptional players always are more than welcome in the Premier League.”

Brentford beat champions City home and away in the Premier League last season.

The Toney-inspired first of those victories came in the final game before the World Cup break, as City endured an indifferent spell in the autumn.

The second, at the Gtech Community Stadium, was on the last day of the campaign as City, having already wrapped up the title, were preparing for the FA Cup and Champions League finals.

Nevertheless, Guardiola sees them as a serious threat as City look to maintain their recent momentum after eight successive wins.

He said: “We know in the past how difficult they have been. Even when we won it was always tight and we lost the two games we played last season.

“So we know the difficulty for the way they play, the standards that they have. They are clear and they believe it and they apply really well.

“It’s another game to face, a new challenge.”

City have a full-strength squad available with defender Manuel Akanji back in contention after a knee injury.

Erling Haaland could make his first start in two months after returning from a foot problem as a substitute against Burnley in midweek.

Brentford head coach Thomas Frank says that Ivan Toney will not be leaving the Bees on transfer deadline day.

England striker Toney has been linked with Premier League rivals such as Arsenal and Chelsea in the January window.

The 27-year-old has scored 34 goals in 68 top-flight games for Brentford and Frank insists Toney will stay put after a month of speculation.

“This will be breaking news, OK – but Ivan will stay,” Frank said at his press conference previewing Monday’s clash with Manchester City.

Elsewhere, there were few big early moves from top-flight clubs – although Nottingham Forest, Aston Villa and Newcastle all completed deals to strengthen their squads.

Forest signed 18-year-old striker Rodrigo Ribeiro on loan from Sporting Lisbon until the end of the season, while Morgan Rogers swapped Middlesbrough for Villa Park in a reported £8million switch and Newcastle brought in teenage midfielder Alfie Harrison from Manchester City.

Brighton midfielder Mahmoud Dahoud has, meanwhile, joined Stuttgart on loan. More transfers are expected to be completed ahead of the 11pm deadline, with Pablo Fornals expected to leave West Ham to join Real Betis.

But Brentford head coach Thomas Frank has said there is no chance Ivan Toney will make a late deadline day move away from the club.

Ribeiro came through the ranks in Lisbon and made his professional debut for the club as a late substitute in a Champions League tie against Manchester City in March 2022.

The 18-year-old’s move to Forest could become permanent. He told the club’s YouTube channel: “It is a great opportunity for me.

“It is the best league in the world. For me, it is a dream to play in this league and for this club.

“I promise to work every day and to keep going with the work and help the team.”

Rogers, 21, signed for Boro last summer and scored seven goals this season, including against Chelsea in the Carabao Cup semi-final.

Villa also later announced the signing of England Under-19 international Lino Sousa from Arsenal, who is set to immediately join up with Plymouth on loan for the remainder of the campaign.

Newcastle also made a move for the future with the signing of 18-year-old Manchester City midfielder Harrison for an undisclosed fee.

“The size of the club and what it has got going for it is massive for me,” Harrison told Newcastle’s website.

“It has got a huge, passionate fanbase and I’m looking to really push on with my career now.”

In the Sky Bet Championship, midfielder Alex Pritchard completed his move from Sunderland to Birmingham for an undisclosed fee.

The 30-year-old has signed a two-and-a-half-year contract to reunite with former Black Cats boss Tony Mowbray.

“I am happy,” Pritchard told BluesTV.

“My future has been well speculated for a while now and I am just glad to get everything done and just settled and, hopefully, I can just crack on with football.”

Sunderland reacted quickly to fill the gap in their squad, signing winger Romaine Mundle from Standard Liege for an undisclosed fee.

The 20-year-old former Tottenham player has signed a four-and-a-half-year contract at the Stadium of Light.

Hull have been one of the most active Championship clubs on deadline day, with midfielder Abdulkadir Omur joining from Trabzonspor.

Turkish international Omur has signed a three-and-a-half-year deal after he joined for an undisclosed fee, while Dogukan Sinik has been allowed to make a loan move to Hatayspor.

“The fans will love watching him (Omur),” Hull boss Liam Rosenior said on the club website.

“He is someone who can unlock the door, create and score goals, and has a great final pass and shot.

“He is an outstanding technical footballer who can go past players, has a low centre of gravity and works hard out of possession. I love his football personality.”

Swansea have brought in young forward Charles Sagoe Jr depart on a six-month loan from Arsenal.

Brentford head coach Thomas Frank believes refusing to sell Ivan Toney in January proves how far the club has come in recent years – but admits eventually “money talks” when it comes to holding on to his stars.

England striker Toney was reportedly a target for the likes of Arsenal and Chelsea during the transfer window.

The 27-year-old has recently returned to action for the Bees having served an eight-month ban after breaching Football Association gambling laws.

Toney has scored 34 goals in 68 top-flight games for the Bees and Frank insists the player will stay put after a month of speculation.

“This will be breaking news, OK – but Ivan will stay,” Frank said at his press conference previewing Monday’s clash with Manchester City.

Asked if he was happy that the window was closing just hours after his media duties would conclude, Frank replied: “Happy? Yes, but I was pretty sure as I said from the beginning that Ivan will stay with us so I was not worried about that.

“In general, it is nice to know what you are working with so in that situation, yes (I am happy).”

Despite rumours of a big-money move during the window, Frank and the club as a whole were steadfast throughout January that Toney would not be sold.

The former Newcastle forward is out of contract at the end of next season but Frank feels Brentford showed their strength in keeping hold of their sought-after striker, even if their transfer strategy dictates otherwise.

“Yes, I think with any player we have a contract in general so at the end of the day we decide if they leave or not,” he added when asked if rebuffing any interest in Toney showed the progress Brentford have made.

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“Of course money talks and we also know that we are a ‘selling’ club as you could call it – we know that is part of the strategy.

“We want to have young, talented players in, develop them and make them better. Be on a journey with us, improve and hopefully do some fantastic stuff in the league and maybe one day win something.

“But at the end of the day, after some years if they are good enough they will progress to the next level.”

James Maddison and Neal Maupay were embroiled in a war of words after the Brentford forward mocked the Tottenham midfielder’s goal celebration.

Maupay opened the scoring in the 15th minute at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on Wednesday night and celebrated by throwing a dart alongside Ivan Toney, mimicking the move Maddison and Spurs team-mate Son Heung-min have done this season.

That annoyed big darts fan Maddison, who had a heated exchange with Maupay on the goalscorer’s way back to the centre circle.

The England international had the last laugh though, with goals from Destiny Udogie, Brennan Johnson and Richarlison securing a 3-2 win for Spurs.

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A post shared by James Maddison (@madders)

Maddison told TNT Sports: “He’s not scored enough goals of his own to have his own celebration so he’s copied mine.”

Maddison’s comments irked Maupay, who responded on Instagram after the game mocking his opponent’s relegation with Leicester last season.

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A post shared by Neal Maupay (@nealmaupay)

The Frenchman wrote: “Went a bit early with that one.

“Gutted we couldn’t get the win. More goals and less relegations in my career than James Maddison. We go again monday bees.”

Youngster Conor Bradley registered his first Liverpool goal and two assists as the Premier League leaders thumped Chelsea 4-1 at Anfield to go five points clear at the top.

The 20-year-old right-back fired into the bottom corner in the 39th minute to double the Reds’ lead having earlier provided the pass that led to Diogo Jota’s opener midway through the first half.

After Darwin Nunez sent a penalty against the post in first-half stoppage-time – one of four times he hit the woodwork – the advantage was extended in the 65th minute when Dominik Szoboszlai headed in from Bradley’s cross.

Christopher Nkunku replied before Luis Diaz wrapped things up for Jurgen Klopp’s men as they made it 15 league matches unbeaten, and four successive wins, in their first top-flight outing since the German’s announcement that he is to step down as boss at the end of the season.

A miserable evening for Mauricio Pochettino’s Chelsea ended a three-match winning run as they stayed 10th.

Manchester City, who have played a game fewer than Liverpool, returned to second place with their fourth league victory on the bounce, beating struggling Burnley 3-1 at the Etihad Stadium.

Julian Alvarez netted twice on his 24th birthday and Rodri also got on the scoresheet before top-scorer Erling Haaland make his comeback from injury as a 71st-minute substitute.

Ameen Al-Dakhil netted a stoppage-time consolation for second-bottom Burnley, managed by ex-City captain Vincent Kompany, as Pep Guardiola’s treble-winners went above Arsenal on goal difference.

Tottenham moved into the top four after a flurry of goals early in the second half helped them come from behind to beat Brentford 3-2 at home.

Neal Maupay’s effort for the Bees on the quarter-hour mark was cancelled out three minutes into the second half by Destiny Udogie.

Brennan Johnson then put Spurs ahead a minute later, with Richarlison adding a further goal for the hosts seven minutes on from that.

Ivan Toney subsequently reduced the deficit in the 67th minute but Ange Postecoglou’s team emerged with the three points to leapfrog Aston Villa in the table.