Thomas Frank credited his “fantastic” Brentford side after Bryan Mbeumo’s late equaliser against Bournemouth earned a 2-2 draw in the Premier League.

Mbeumo’s fourth of the season cancelled out goals from Dominic Solanke and David Brooks after Mathias Jensen took the lead for Brentford in the first half.

And Frank praised his team’s second-half display which saw them extend their unbeaten start to the season.

“First half we were good but second half we were fantastic,” Frank said. “I think we ran over Bournemouth in the second half and we created chance after chance.

“I would love to have 10 points (Brentford have six) and I think we could easily say we deserve to have more, but it’s up to others to discuss if we should have eight or 10.

“I think we had a chance to win all three draws at home (Tottenham, Crystal Palace and Bournemouth), the Tottenham and Crystal Palace games were tight but it was clear we should have won them and we have to keep going.”

Cherries boss Andoni Iraola admitted Brentford’s late goal hurt as his side searched for their first win of the season.

And the Spaniard revealed his side rued a series of mistakes which led to Mbeumo’s goal.

“The worst thing for us is the way we concede the goal,” Iraola added.

“It comes from our own goal-kick and we made two or three mistakes because we were probably not at our best but we have have to know how to finish the games because we had run a lot and (played) good stretches of football.

“To lose it in this way hurts.

“In set-pieces they have very good players and we needed maximum help in the duels and the crosses we received in the last minutes but it didn’t work as we conceded the second goal.

Iraola highlighted that Bournemouth suffered out of possession in the lead up to the final goal.

He said: “The game was a little bit territorial and the advantage was very important because we were suffering when they were playing in our half and they had set-pieces like corners, free-kicks.

“Whenever the game was in their half I think we were playing better, we were more in control of the situation and so at the end they had nothing to lose and put more bodies up front and closed with three defenders.

“We tried to defend the long balls, crosses and throw ins better because sometimes you have to suffer to win the games and be compact.”

Brentford boss Thomas Frank paid tribute to debutant goalkeeper Ellery Balcombe after his two spot-kick saves ensured the Bees edged past Newport 3-0 on penalties after a 1-1 draw at Rodney Parade.

Mathias Jensen thought he had won the Carabao Cup tie for the visitors in the 88th minute but teenage substitute Kiban Rai headed home deep into stoppage time for the hosts to take the game to spot-kicks.

Adam Lewis then hit a post with Newport’s first effort, before Balcombe saved from Nathan Wood and Bryn Morris, and Keane Lewis-Potter settled the contest in the Premier League side’s favour.

“Our debut goalkeeper made fantastic saves in the shoot-out,” said Frank.

“He’s been at the club since he was eight years old and it’s a fantastic story for him to make a debut like this with his family watching in the stadium.

“We want to go far in the cup competitions, and you need to get the job done. We did that in the end.”

Frank praised League Two County for their dogged display.

“It’s all about getting through,” added the Dane, who was forced into bringing on Jensen, Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa after an hour.

“Of course, we’d have loved to come here and win 3-0 but it’s never easy.

“I had to bring on three more experienced guys. It’s always a balance. You want to play some of the ones who don’t play so much. With all due respect, that should be enough to win the game. But we just made it right in the end.

“Big credit to Newport, I think they defended very well. They put a lot of effort into it and made it very difficult for us.

“I could definitely see why they have created upsets in the past, and they’ve had a decent start to the season with three wins in the first five. I see them having a very good season.”

Exiles manager Graham Coughlan had mixed emotions after a fantastic effort from his players.

Midfielder Harry Charsley typified their performance, heading off the line to deny Lewis-Potter early on before heading just wide at the other end from an Omar Bogle cross.

“I am proud of the lads. They will get all of the plaudits and pats on backs they deserve but, at the end of the day, you want to win football matches,” he said.

“We were very good but that didn’t get us through to the next round and we want to be winners and to be successful.

“We had probably the best chance of the game with Harry Charsley stealing into the six-yard box.

“When you play the big boys, you need those moments and slices of luck.”

Brentford boss Thomas Frank values goalkeeper David Raya at £40million.

Tottenham and Manchester United have been heavily linked with Spaniard Raya, who has a year left on his Bees contract having turned down a new one.

The 27-year-old kept his 12th clean sheet of the season in the 1-0 win against Manchester City on Sunday but Frank admits his future probably lies elsewhere.

“I think we only have one player for sale,” said Frank. “That’s the one that’s been talked about a lot, David. He costs £40million, I think I said.”

Frank himself is on the radar of bigger clubs having guided Brentford to a ninth-placed finish in their second season in the Premier League.

Other players, such as full-backs Rico Henry and Aaron Hickey, will also attract interest this summer.

But Frank added: “We are a selling club. I don’t think that’s a secret. But they need to be crazy high amounts for the players for anyone to leave.

“I’m pretty sure that everyone, including myself, is very happy here at Brentford.”

Ethan Pinnock’s 85th-minute goal saw the Bees became the only club to do the double over City this season.

The champions have bigger fish to fry, however, as they chase an historic treble with the FA Cup final against Manchester United to come next weekend, followed by the Champions League showpiece with Inter Milan on June 10.

Pep Guardiola left the likes of Erling Haaland, John Stones and Ilkay Gundogan on the bench and used the occasion to give 19-year-old Shea Charles his debut as a substitute.

“Shea Charles, against this team with top, top strikers, fast and strong, it’s not the easiest debut,” said the City boss.

“At the same time we didn’t play for points. We know him, he trains quite regularly with us. He’s so good, so composed.

“When you can make your debut, after joining the club aged nine, is the biggest compliment for all the managers he had and the trainers and those that take care of him. I’m pretty sure it was a big moment for him.”

Thomas Frank is convinced one-time Liverpool target Kevin Schade will become a key player for Brentford.

The Bees travel to Anfield on Saturday, with German international Schade still waiting for his first goal in England since a January switch from Freiburg.

Attacker Schade moved to Brentford on an initial loan but is expected to make the transfer permanent in the summer despite previous interest from Liverpool.

While the 21-year-old has failed to score in 15 appearances for the west London club and missed an open goal in a recent draw with Aston Villa, his manager has no doubts about his potential.

“Kevin is a young player that needs a lot of development but he has shown very good signs of what he is capable of,” Frank said.

“I am convinced he will be a very good player for us in the future. That is who we are. We need to develop players that can go to the next level and hopefully Kevin is one of them.

“That would be a nice story (to score against Liverpool). I understand why he would have been linked with them. I think he would fit their style so I’m pleased he came to us.”

Frank accepted had Liverpool “really, really” chased Schade he may have ended up on Merseyside, but the forward himself revealed in his interview with Brentford’s website upon signing earlier this year that he wanted to join a team where he would play.

The Bees boss also feels it is a compliment if they are bringing in players tracked by top-six clubs.

Frank said: “I think if Liverpool really, really went for him he would be out of reach for us.

“On the flipside, when you go to a club you like to have a decent chance for getting playing minutes.

“There is no doubt he needs playing minutes before he can go to the next level potentially, but of course it is nice we get players who are linked to other clubs because it also shows that other clubs can see the potential of the player.”

Schade will aim to help Brentford secure a first ever double over Liverpool this weekend, but the Reds are currently on a lengthy unbeaten home run in the Premier League.

Leeds were the last top-flight club to visit Anfield and win back in October, with Klopp’s side currently on a five-match winning streak in pursuit of an unlikely top-four finish.

Frank has masterminded victories at Manchester City and Chelsea this season in addition to a draw at Arsenal in March, but knows the size of the task on Saturday.

“Probably, when it is rocking, Anfield is the most difficult away ground to go to,” he said.

“As we experienced last year, we lost 3-0 and it was a clear defeat so we have a mountain to climb on Saturday. Flipside is we also believe we can do something in any game.

“We have confidence and we have belief, but we also know that Liverpool is a team that against Tottenham is 3-0 up after 13 minutes, against Man United, in such a big game, big rivalry, with everything at stake, they won 7-0. So we need to be absolutely on it.

“We need a top performance from us to go there and win.”

Frank has confirmed Christian Norgaard (Achilles) and Keane Lewis-Potter (knee) are unlikely to play again this season.

Brentford head coach Thomas Frank has acknowledged managers like himself and Liverpool’s Jurgen Klopp must be aware of their touchline behaviour, but conceded sometimes emotions do get the better of them.

Klopp was charged with improper conduct by the Football Association on Tuesday over his post-match comments about Paul Tierney after he insisted the referee “had history” with the club, having raced down the touchline to celebrate wildly in front of fourth official John Brooks following Liverpool’s stoppage-time winner in the 4-3 victory over Tottenham.

The German has until Friday to respond and this weekend’s visit of Brentford may end up being his last on the touchline if the FA decides to ban the 55-year-old, with Klopp having already served a one-match suspension in November for confronting assistant referee Gary Beswick in their win over Manchester City.

Frank said: “I think we all as managers need to think about how we present ourselves on the touchline and of course we need to be aware of that.

“I try my best but I am not perfect. I have also done things that afterwards I am thinking I should have done a little better there.

“We’re only humans and there is a lot of emotion and pressure in those situations.

“This situation, I don’t know. I don’t know what exactly happened. I guess it is up to Jurgen to explain.

“I think in general Jurgen is coming across very well and then there are some times where we are very emotional and we maybe make a mistake.

“As I said, I try my best but sometimes the emotions and the pressure over time just gets you.”

Bees boss Frank was otherwise full of praise for his opposite number ahead of Saturday’s trip to Anfield, where the visitors will eye an unlikely first ever double over Liverpool.

Last season Brentford suffered a 3-0 loss on Merseyside and their manager reflected on the strangeness of football that Klopp’s side were so close to an unprecedented quadruple in the 2022-23 campaign while now they are set to miss out on the top-four.

“Sometimes I try to get my head around that Liverpool last year were so close to the perfect season,” Frank said.

“They played every possible game they could and just missed out by a point in the league. And they played a Champions League final they should have won, they were unlucky. Now this year they are, in their terminology, struggling a little bit and that is only losing (Sadio) Mane.

“Football is so strange.

“I think the job they have done there over the last four or five seasons should have brought even more titles for them. I think they have been quite unlucky.”

Brentford beat Liverpool at home in January with Yoane Wissa on target, and the forward agreed a new deal with the west London club on Thursday to keep him there until 2026.

Frank said: “He’s a very important player. It is a privilege to have a player that we know can always provide goals.

“I think that is a very important skillset to have in the squad and then it is up to me to find and put the best players on the pitch.

“He is very, very good to work with and fantastic for the group, so I’m very pleased we managed to extend his contract.”

Nottingham Forest manager Steve Cooper has dismissed links with Tottenham amid growing pressure on Antonio Conte.

Spurs' Champions League exit at the hands of AC Milan, along with poor Premier League form and bowing out of the FA Cup against Sheffield United, has led to speculation over Conte's future.

On Thursday, the Athletic reported chairman Daniel Levy has tasked director of football Fabio Paratici to produce a list of suitable replacements for the Italian.

Cooper has been linked with a potential vacancy, reportedly having admirers within the Spurs hierarchy, but he outlined his focus on Forest ahead of Saturday's trip to north London.

"The only thing that it is, is irrelevant. I said what I said last week, I don't want or need to say it again," he said at a press conference.

"The most important thing for me is the game, the guys I am working with every single day and I am trying to be at my best and do a good day's work and try and get them to do the same.

"Then we give ourselves a chance of trying to be a better team. We are embracing that challenge, we have had a lot of hurdles we have had to overcome this season, I am loving this journey with the players.

"It is a challenging one but one I am enjoying. But anything outside that bubble is irrelevant.

"The moment I am not thinking about Nottingham Forest or the players or the staff or how I can be at my best is the moment I am not getting it right, that's not what I want to be, I want to be all-in, that's what I am and I am not looking further than going to Tottenham on Saturday."

Cooper was not the only Premier League boss to dismiss questions about a move to Tottenham, with Brentford head coach Thomas Frank outlining his happiness with the Bees.

"First, they have a manager which is a manager I have studied for years and I admire massively. I think he has achieved some fantastic results so I hope he will do well and I hope Spurs do well," he said ahead of the game against Everton.

"Secondly, I am very, very happy here at Brentford."

Ivan Toney continued his impressive penalty-scoring record on Monday but the Brentford striker says his method is simple.

The 26-year-old stroked the ball into the bottom-right corner from 12 yards again as Thomas Frank's side claimed a 3-2 Premier League victory over fellow unlikely European hopefuls Fulham.

Toney has converted all 22 penalties he has taken for Brentford, with 10 of those coming in the Premier League.

Only Yaya Toure, who scored all 11 spot-kick attempts for Manchester City, boasts a better 100 per cent conversion rate in the competition – yet Toney explained his penalty procedure is all about being relaxed.

After being made to wait before putting Brentford 2-1 up in the 53rd minute at the Brentford Community Stadium, he told Sky Sports: "The wait doesn't matter, the longer the better really because I can get away and think of other things like being away on holiday and chilling.

"The goalkeeper didn't move but I have always got a spot where I put the ball."

Toney has scored 27 of his 28 penalties in his professional career, with the only blemish a saved attempt for Peterborough United in a 4-0 defeat against Barnsley back in October 2018.

That miss was the catalyst for a technique alteration.

When asked when he changed his approach, he replied: "When I missed... I thought of different techniques to make sure I had a better chance of scoring and it's working out alright at the moment, so touch wood, it continues."

Another strike against Fulham took Toney's Premier League tally to 15 this season despite off-field issues.

He has been charged with 262 alleged betting violations by the Football Association, which took place over a four-year period, but hit out at English football's governing body last weeks after reported media leaks.

Reports suggested Toney, who missed out on England's World Cup squad in Qatar, would be banned for six months after pleading guilty to some charges – claims the forward strongly denied on social media.

Brentford head coach Frank previously defended his star attacker and reiterated his backing for Toney after the Fulham win.

"I take all the praise, it is solely me," Frank initially joked to Sky Sports. "No it is Ivan, that is the technique he had when he arrived at Brentford.

"He is the best penalty taker in the world for a few reasons, his strategy, he practices it and he is very cool. He keeps doing it all the same.

"It is a unique skill with him. This situation with the [betting] case going on, he has a unique ability to focus on games and training and he has kept doing that so that doesn't surprise me.

"He doesn't like the situation but he has top focus. He is a special footballer, I think his character is unique in terms of leadership and driving his team.

"His link-up play and the way he sees his team-mates around in terms of combinations and then his ability to score goals. He is an all-round football player."

Thomas Frank has backed Ivan Toney after leaked speculation over the Football Association's (FA) intended ban for his alleged breaches of betting rules, as well as suggestions he had trained badly while on England duty.

The Brentford striker has been charged with 262 alleged violations by English football's governing body, which took place over a four-year period.

There has been no official FA update on the matter but reports, initially by The Daily Mail on Tuesday, claimed Toney had pleaded guilty to the majority of charges and could face a six-month ban.

Those reports suggested the 26-year-old also denied some of the violations, though Toney was left bewildered by reported leaks within the FA, posting on Instagram that he was "shocked and disappointed" by them.

Toney earned a first England call-up in September but was left out of Gareth Southgate's squad for the World Cup.

Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Bees head coach Frank said: "The most important [thing] is Ivan. He is amazing in many aspects, the way he copes with pressure, or distraction, and this is of course a bigger one.

"This has been ongoing since November, and yet he just carried on scoring goals, performing for the team, driving the team. It is so remarkable.

"We are 11 games unbeaten [in the Premier League], so I guess that is a decent response."

Only Erling Haaland (27) and Harry Kane (18) have scored more than Toney's 14 goals in 21 Premier League appearances this season, and Frank praised his forward's ability to maintain his form despite the outside noise.

"It is like life, sometimes things get thrown at you and you need to deal with it," he said.

"I would say that we share the disappointment of Ivan in terms of the leaks, that is for a confidential case. It surprised us massively.

"The timing of the leaks, just before the World Cup and the March international [England] team [announcement].

"The talk about that there is a potential ban as long as up to six months, that disappoints us.

"Then we share the disappointment that the talk about Ivan trained badly with the England squad. What is that?

"It is his first time with the England squad and I never met a player who did not want to do everything they can out on the training pitch, that wants to do well to impress the gaffer.

"I can only talk about Ivan what I see out here [in training] and around the place, he is a fantastic person around the group.

"He has that unique emotional intelligence to be aware of the lowest player to the top players and staff members.

"He has trained well and to me he is clearly number two in England as a striker. He has proven that with the goals and the performances."

Brentford head coach Thomas Frank feels Chelsea have paid over the odds for Mykhaylo Mudryk and believes transfer fees being forked out are "insane."

The Blues landed the Ukraine international from Shakhtar Donetsk in a deal that could be worth £89million (€100m) as they continue to splash the cash following a takeover by a consortium-led by Todd Boehly.

Fellow winger Noni Madueke is also expected to arrived at Stamford Bridge from PSV, giving Graham Potter plenty of options to ponder.

Frank has questioned the fee the Bees' London paid for Mudryk and wonders how Potter can keep so many wingers happy.

"I think there is a lot of money around in the football world, especially in the Premier League," he told reporters ahead of the Premier League clash against Leeds United on Sunday.

"Looking from the outside, I think Mudryk is a very good player but 100million, that's a lot for a player who is showing great signs of potential but probably needs to do a bit more.

"Maybe that's just price-tags these days, which I think are insane.

"They've bought him and then there's rumours about the PSV guy as well. I think they have enough wingers but that is their issue."

Romeo Beckham has a big reputation to live up to but cannot be compared to famous footballing father David, says Brentford head coach Thomas Frank.

The 20-year-old joined Premier League side Brentford on loan this week and made his debut for the reserve side in Tuesday's London Senior Cup tie with Erith and Belvedere.

Romeo's dad was in the Park View Road stands to watch his son, who made 20 appearances for Inter Miami II in MLS Next Pro last season.

Talk of another Beckham taking the Premier League by storm has garnered plenty of attention, but Frank wants Romeo to be judged on his own ability rather than anyone else's.

"Romeo is a very good player, of course he has a name that is pretty worldwide, and big," Frank said at a pre-match press conference on Friday.

"For Romeo, he is himself. He of course has a big name. You can't compare [father and son]."

Frank drew comparisons between Michael Laudrup and his son Andreas, who the Brentford boss previously managed.

"Maybe Laudrup is also a decent player [like David Beckham]," Frank said. "I coached his son and it is important to take him as a player – not as a Laudrup, but as himself.

"Romeo is here for a reason, because we think he is a good player, and we are pleased he could make the loan deal."

Brentford B coach Neil MacFarlane praised Romeo for his display in the midweek cup tie, and Frank has challenged the youngster to do enough to earn a permanent contract.

"We're pleased to see him doing well and pleased with his performance in the last game. When you have players, either permanent or on loan, it's for a reason," Frank said.

"It's either for getting the team to perform, or to extend the loan deal and make it a permanent deal, so we just hope that he keeps progressing and makes it interesting for us."

Brentford's senior side are ninth in the Premier League and host Bournemouth on Saturday.

Brentford manager Thomas Frank is worried but hopeful about the knee injury that saw Ivan Toney stretchered off late in their 2-0 win over West Ham United on Friday.

Toney, who has been in the news after being charged with 262 breaches of the Football Association's betting rules, scored the opening goal and got the assist for the other before being stretchered off in the 90th minute after landing awkwardly on his right knee.

The England forward appeared in significant pain, which Frank said was "worrying" but needing further assessment.

"Hopefully he's okay," Frank told SkySports. "I'm happy for the three points and another goal to add to his tally.

"I don't know exactly how he will be against Liverpool in three days' time, it's unlikely he's subbed off because of a knock or something.

"So, of course, that's a little bit worrying, but I've been in the game long enough that we need to assess him in the next two days.

"It could be nothing, it could be a little bit worse. It's never a good sign, but we don't know anything about it. It's his knee."

Toney, who was left out of England's World Cup squad, has netted 12 league goals this season, behind only Erling Haaland (20) and Harry Kane (13).

After the game, Toney tweeted about the injury: "Hopefully not too bad and be back out there in no time."

Brentford head coach Thomas Frank has signed a new deal until 2027.

The Premier League club confirmed on Saturday that the Dane had penned a fresh contract, meaning he will have spent over a decade at the Bees should he fulfil his new deal.

Frank arrived at the club in December 2016 as an assistant coach, before being appointed head coach in October 2018, leading Brentford to the Championship play-off final the following season, before securing promotion to England's top flight the year after.

Brentford finished their first Premier League campaign in 13th place in 2021-22, and sat in 10th heading into the mid-season break for the World Cup.

"Being a head coach at a club is like a relationship; there are highs and lows," Frank told the club's website. "I have been here six years in total, which is a long time in modern football, and I'd like to say thank you to the fans for the support you give us – the players, the staff, everyone involved with the club.

"The warmth, support and kindness every time I meet a Bees fan has been amazing and it gives me extra energy to continue the work going forward.

"We attacked the Premier League in the first season and we're attacking it in our second season. I'm looking forward to hopefully continuing our progress and creating more magic moments together."

Having beaten Manchester City 2-1 at the Etihad Stadium in their last game before the World Cup, Brentford host Tottenham on Monday.

Brentford head coach Thomas Frank struggled to find the words to describe Ivan Toney after he fired Brentford to a dramatic 2-1 win at Manchester City, declaring: 'what a striker!'

Toney was overlooked when Gareth Southgate named England's World Cup squad this week, but he responded in outstanding fashion by scoring twice in a famous win for the Bees. 

Having latched onto Josh Dasilva's cross to score a dramatic winner eight minutes into stoppage time, Toney has reached double figures for Premier League goals this season, scoring two or more goals in three separate games. 

Speaking to BT Sport after masterminding Brentford's victory, Frank hailed Toney's performance and praised his side for keeping City talisman Erling Haaland quiet.

"He's fantastic," Frank said of Toney. "I can't praise him enough. What I would say is the most important thing is how good a person he is, how emotionally intelligent he is around his team-mates.

"Then of course, what a player, what a striker! Scoring two goals, he should probably have had one more. Imagine having a hat-trick here at the Etihad, I thought that was only for Haaland!

"We spoke before the game about how to eliminate Haaland, but I think we did it perfectly. We tried to stop the sources into him, then when the ball came into the box, we defended it brilliantly."

Toney has now scored 22 Premier League goals for Brentford, more than double the tally recorded by any other player for the club (Yoane Wissa is second with 10). 

Having fired Brentford to their first win at City since 1937, Toney said he would not let his disappointment at missing the World Cup affect his displays.

"Listen, the only thing is to keep doing well, keep doing my best for the team and who knows what can happen," Toney said.

"I mean, obviously it's a disappointment but I know what I'm capable of, I won't let it put me down, I'll just keep going and keep doing well for Brentford.

"The motivation is the boys in the dressing room and the fans, as you can see. When you work hard, it's all you can do."

Ivan Toney is a "perfect fit" for England, so says Thomas Frank, as the Brentford striker backed up his claim for a World Cup call.

Toney has been in superb form for Brentford this season and moved onto eight league goals for the season with a double in Friday's 2-0 defeat of Brighton and Hove Albion.

Having marked his 100th Premier League appearance for Brentford with a deft backheel to put them ahead in the first half, Toney coolly converted a spot-kick after the break to seal the points.

Toney has scored all 20 of his penalties for Brentford (excluding shoot-outs), including eight in the Premier League, putting him behind only Dimitar Berbatov (9/9) and Yaya Toure (11/11) when it comes to players with a 100 per cent record from the spot in the competition.

The 26-year-old, who also netted from 12 yards in last week's defeat to Newcastle United and last month's thrashing of Leeds United, received his maiden England call-up for the Nations League matches against Italy and Germany in September.

While he did not make his international debut, only Erling Haaland (15) has scored more goals than Toney in the Premier League this season, and Frank thinks Toney – who he reiterated is the finest penalty taker in the game – must be part of Gareth Southgate's squad.

"I know I say it every time and he’s starting to back me up a bit – the best penalty taker in the world. It’s not only because of his coolness, his technique, strategy and he practices," Frank told Sky Sports.

"We spoke about when he got the call, if he could get the first cap that would be amazing. It would be the first time in, I don't know, 80 years [that a Brentford player played for England] and we keep breaking records these days.

"But for Ivan it would be amazing and I think – I respect Gareth so much, he knows the bigger picture more than me – but I think he's a perfect fit for the squad if you want that flexibility in strikers."

Frank's sentiment was echoed by Sky Sports pundit Jamie Carragher, who said: "I think he has to go. We know Harry Kane is our number one but after that it feels as though a lot of the strikers are in the same sort of category in terms of quality. Ivan Toney, right now, is at the top of that list and I don't see how he doesn't go."

Fellow pundit Gary Neville says Toney – who joked he "thinks of being on the beach with a cocktail" when he takes his penalties, could prove a difference maker in a penalty shoot-out.

England have won only one of their last eight shoot-outs at major tournaments – against Colombia at the 2018 World Cup. Indeed, they lost last year's Euro 2020 final to Italy on penalties.

Neville said: "I went to eight tournaments, five of those got knocked out on penalties. The fact is it's about having confident players who do it regularly – and England have got a lot of those in the squad.

"Those big moments will be determined by penalties and free-kicks, to not have him there would be a big risk."

For his part, Toney said of his England experience: "I didn't feel out of place. I felt like I was ready for that step.

"I'm ready to take my opportunity. I always see myself as the best player on the pitch and you've always got to have that mentality, no matter who you come up against."

England manager Gareth Southgate should take Ivan Toney to the World Cup, so says "biased" Brentford head coach Thomas Frank.

Toney has enjoyed a fine start to the season for Brentford, scoring five goals across eight Premier League appearances.

Indeed, since the start of last term, only five players have scored more goals in the competition than Toney (17), with Harry Kane (24) the sole English player to have netted more.

As well as being involved in seven of Brentford's 15 Premier League goals this season, Toney has had more shots (23) and created more chances from open play (10) than any other player for the Bees this term.

After scoring a hat-trick in a 5-2 rout of Leeds United on September 3, Toney received his first England call-up for last month's Nations League matches against Italy and Germany. While he did not make an appearance in either game, Frank believes he must be an option for Southgate in Qatar.

Ahead of Brentford's trip to Toney's former club Newcastle United, Frank said in a press conference: "I think for Ivan the most important thing is to perform every day at the training ground and then perform on Saturday against Newcastle, hopefully score a goal or two.

"Keep doing that and with his performances he needs to ask questions to Gareth Southgate.

"It is up to Gareth to take the decision over what he thinks is the best squad for the World Cup. I am sure he will take the best squad. Gareth wants to win the World Cup so he will bring the best and most competitive squad.

"If you ask me, I see Ivan every day and I am biassed but I think he should be there."

Brentford's trip to St James' Park comes a day after the one-year anniversary of the controversial Saudi Arabia-backed takeover of Newcastle.

At the time, the Magpies were languishing in the relegation zone under former boss Steve Bruce. Since then, Newcastle have taken 57 points in the top flight, with only the so called "big six" teams – Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham – winning more games (15).

For Frank, it would be a miraculous if Brentford manage to compete with Newcastle's financial strength over the coming seasons.

"If we have the money we have now, they have their money and we continue doing that, if we are the same level at the same time, it will be an even bigger miracle than it is now that we are competing," Frank said.

"Of course we know in football money talks. It is a very important part and that is one thing but the very good news is it is not only about money.

"Newcastle want to challenge that and there is no doubt they are aiming to be top six so maybe we need to start to talk about a top seven in the future. Put that aside, us being a bottom two budget club in the league, it is remarkable what we are doing."