IVAN TONEY has admitted he was left speechless after receiving his first England call-up.
The Brentford striker has been included in Gareth Southgate’s squad for the upcoming Nations League games against Italy and Germany.
And Toney, 26, has revealed he had “nothing to say” after being told he had been called up to the national team.
The striker is known for his humour, and has mocked both Arsenal and Everton on social media in the last year.
But after discovering he was in the England squad, Toney hilariously told Brentford’s Twitter: “I got the call, and I didn’t know what to do.
“For once in my life, I had nothing to say!”
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Toney is the first Brentford player to be called up for Three Lions duty since 1939.
But boss Southgate wasn’t the one who delivered the news to the ex-Peterborough forward.
Instead he let Bees gaffer Thomas Frank inform the striker he was in the squad – with Frank hailing Southgate for showing “how great a man he is”.
Speaking on Toney’s call-up, a delighted Frank said: “I’m very, very pleased, but I don’t think I can beat the happiness of Ivan.
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“But there’s a nice little touch to the story, I would say, and that’s that Gareth Southgate just showed how great a man he is.
“He texted me earlier in the morning and said ‘Thomas, you can deliver the news to Ivan’.
“It’s not often that we as head coaches or managers can bring the good news.”
Frank confirmed Toney’s admission – revealing that the striker was lost for words after being told he was in Southgate’s squad.
The Bees boss added: “It’s not often Ivan is speechless, but he was laughing and just very happy. And I think that’s a wonderful story.
“He’s a very confident guy and the journey has definitely not been straightforward for him. I know he dreamt about being an England international since he was a kid.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
