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      Tyson Fury could be set for movie career after Sylvester Stallone says he wants him to star in Expendables franchise

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      SYLVESTER Stallone wants boxing champ Tyson Fury to star in one of his Expendables films.The actor, 76, said he would be fantastic appearing alongside him and Jason Statham, 55, in the action franchise.
      Sylvester Stallone wants Tyson Fury to star in one of his Expendables filmsCredit: Getty
      Stallone said the fighter is ‘the greatest heavyweight that ever lived’Credit: Getty
      Sly — who also played boxer Rocky Balboa — added: “He’s a natural force of nature and he has charisma so why wouldn’t we want him?”
      Then he joked: “As long as he’s beating up the other guys.”
      Stallone also calls the two-time world champ, 34, “the greatest heavyweight that ever lived” on ITV’s The Jonathan Ross Show tomorrow night.
      He added: “I think you’re the greatest heavyweight that ever lived and I’m a boxing historian, I studied this closely.
      Read More on Tyson Fury
      “When you put together all your skills, plus your heart and your ability to recuperate and how you can move around so well at your size, there’s no one that could have beat you in any era.
      “It’s totally true.”
      Most read in Boxing
      Fury, also a guest on the show, says he is keen on Sly’s offer.
      He adds: “Who better to help me than the man himself, Mr Rocky Balboa?
      Champ Fury said: ‘Who better to help me than the man himself, Mr Rocky Balboa?’Credit: Getty
      Sylvester Stallone with Carl Weathers in iconic boxing flick RockyCredit: Alamy More

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      in Soccer

      Rio Ferdinand reveals he has blazing rows with wife Kate – and admits it’s always over the same thing

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      RIO FERDINAND has confessed he and wife Kate have full-blown rows — and most of the time he is to blame.Though the former no-nonsense Manchester United and England footballer thanks Towie’s Kate for his reinvention, teaching him how to talk about his problems.
      Rio Ferdinand revealed he has rows with wife KateCredit: PA
      But former Man Utd footballer Rio thanks Towie’s Kate for his reinventionCredit: PA:Empics Sport
      The 44-year-old’s told of his troubles in the podcast Football Ramble, broadcast this week to mark the launch of his new three-part TV documentary series Tipping Point.
      He shared on it: “My missus will tell me a problem that she’s got going on, and I talk about it from my point of view.
      “Most men are like this, we try to help them solve the problem. And she’s going ‘I don’t want you to try and solve it’.
      “And I end up having arguments with her. We only argue about stuff like this. We get into a full-blast row because you’re trying to solve it.
      Read More on Rio Ferdinand
      “She says, ‘I don’t want you to solve my problem for me. I just want to be able to vent, and you listen, and just help me that way’.
      “As a man you’re sitting there going ‘Well why are you telling me then if it can’t be solved? Just solve it’.
      “Men feel ‘don’t discuss it if you’re not trying to make a solution’.
      “What’s the point in discussing it if there’s no solution-based foundations of why you’re making that conversation’, which is probably the wrong way to look at it.”
      Most read in Football
      Rio has become concerned about mental health in football, especially among young players.
      While playing for Queen’s Park Rangers in West London he would drive to training with team-mate Bobby Zamora.
      But Rio refused to confide to fellow players that his first wife Rebecca Ellison was dying with breast cancer.
      She passed away, aged 34, in May 2015, leaving him to look after their three children Lorenz, Tate and Tia, then aged nine, six and four respectively.
      Two years later he started dating Kate, now 31. They married in Turkey in 2019.
      But Rio said he has become a better communicator since meeting Kate, with whom he has a 23-month-old son Cree.
      He said: “I think that’s an important factor in feeling good, when you communicate how you feel to someone else or people around you that you care about.
      “It’s since I met my missus. I was never really a good communicator before that.
      “Then I met Kate. She’s really good and has got really open lines of communication, and she’s pushed me into that way of thinking.”
      Talking about why he did not tell his team-mate about Rebecca’s condition, Rio said: “A big part of my make-up as a football player was you don’t show emotion, you don’t show weakness, especially.
      “If you’re going to show any type of emotion, weakness isn’t the one you show.”
      Rio continued: “Young men in our generation, we were definitely brought up to have a stone face and a hard exterior. If you did have those feelings of vulnerability or emotions you better make sure you quash them quickly.
      Rio with Kate and dad Julian with his OBE at Windsor CastleCredit: AP
      “I very much became that, quite hardened. I had no real empathy for some people when they had issues. I wasn’t where I am today.
      “I saw people come into the dressing room who, when I look back now and I think about it, they were going through a tough time.
      “I didn’t even have any time in my headspace to even think about addressing that because I thought they were a negative impact on our team’s quest to try and win.
      “And it was such a backwards way of looking at it.
      “If you’d looked and taken an interest and spoken to those people and paid a bit more attention to those things you might have been able to help those people get back on track and then become a positive impact on your team’s chances of winning.
      “Mental health wasn’t even part of any sentence.
      “I remember Carlos Queiroz, Manchester United’s Portuguese former assistant manager, and his approach to training was very different to us English lads.
      “We were 100 miles an hour in training every day and he used to just chill in training. Come a game, he was an animal.
      “I remember one day, as we walked out to training, he was actually laying face down on the bed getting a massage.
      “I went to the coach ‘What’s going on with Carlos, what’s he doing having a massage, he’s not injured?’
      “He said ‘No, he’s not injured, he’s just had a baby and he’s a bit tired, a bit drained’.
      “Looking back now, mentally and physically, that was the right way to approach it.
      Once you open up about how you’re feeling from your mental standpoint, how light you feel after you’ve had that conversation, you can’t put into words.Rio Ferdinand
      “Whereas us English guys would just bat on, got to be hard, got to get through this, and we all kind of laughed at Carlos about that.
      “We were like ‘this is a joke’, with disbelief really, ‘we’ve all had kids mate. Jesus, what makes you special?’
      “Everyone’s case is very individual, everyone deals with things very differently.
      “My previous wife was passing away and the fella I went to training with every day in the same car, Bobby Zamora, didn’t know for a long time.
      “My team-mates, that I shared a dressing room with, didn’t know.
      “That’s football, that’s a place where I go to work and no one needs to hear that. No one needs to be a part of that.
      “I can deal with this outside. I don’t want to put any more strain and pressure on those guys, they’ve got enough pressure to win a football match. So I didn’t really feel it was a place to do it.
      “You don’t want to put an extra burden on anyone else’s shoulders when they’ve got enough going on in their life.
      “With situations like that, with hindsight, you think people would actually embrace that more.
      “They’d want to help you, they’d want to open their arms and give you a cuddle and bring you in and have a coffee together and just discuss how you’re feeling and help you along the way.”
      The angry Rio is a long way from his apparently perfect family depicted on social media.
      This week the couple were photographed outside Windsor Castle, where the once England centre back received his OBE from Prince William.
      Rio and Kate pose on the beach on holidayCredit: Instagram
      Kate gushed: “I am so proud. An inspiration to us all, my husband. I love you.”
      Tipping Point covers racism in football and sexuality and mental health in soccer academies.
      The ex-player believes many professional footballers struggle when they retire.
      He said: “I’d get up every day at 7.30, sort the kids out, drop them to nursery, go to training, get home by two o’clock. Routine, routine. All of a sudden that disappears.
      “You start seeing your missus another six, seven hours a day, ‘hold on, this is someone I don’t even know, didn’t know she was like this, didn’t know she had these habits’.”
      Rio now urges people to open up if they’re suffering mentally.
      He said: “One bit of advice I’d always give to people in workplaces, in schools or at home, is every now and again to just ask someone ‘How you doing?’ — not once, twice.
      “Because normally people can get away with going ‘I’m all right, I’m all right’.
      “And you go ‘Really, is everything all right for real?’.With that second one you might get a different answer and then a conversation could start that might help that person.
      Read More on The Sun
      “Once you open up about how you’re feeling from your mental standpoint, how light you feel after you’ve had that conversation, you can’t put into words.
      “It’s just a beautiful feeling.”

      Rio with first wife Rebecca Ellison who died from cancer in 2015Credit: Getty – Contributor
      Rio and Kate pose for a family Christmas photo on the beach More

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      in Soccer

      World Cup fans hoping to dodge £13-a-pint prices face a Qatar happy-hour ban

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      WORLD Cup fans face the sobering prospect of a Qatar happy-hour ban.England and Wales supporters had hoped to dodge £13-a-pint prices.
      Licenced hotels fear they will be overwhelmed by more than a million thirsty fansCredit: Getty
      But licenced hotels, the only places normally selling booze in the Muslim desert state, fear they will be overwhelmed by more than a million thirsty footie followers from around the globe.
      And leading chains have responded by banning popular happy-hour reductions.
      They have also axed boozy “bottomless” brunches — or have ramped up the prices.
      Friday and Saturday brunch prices at the Four Seasons Hotel bar in the capital Doha will soar from £130 to £306 for the tournament.
      READ MORE ON WORLD CUP
      Its happy hours offering all-you-can-drink bottled beer for £42 have been halted.
      The five-star Kempinski has stopped cut-price sessions too, charging £11 a bottle instead of a “bargain” £8.40.
      A Four Seasons worker said: “We wouldn’t cope if thousands tried to take advantage of our happy hours.”
      Fan zone prices have yet to be set. Insiders estimate £7-a-pint.
      Most read in The Sun
      1966 coin is tossed up in sale
      THE coin used for the toss before the 1966 World Cup Final at Wembley is up for auction.
      Memorabilia collector Bryan Horsnell was given it directly by Swiss referee Gottfried Dienst.
      The 1966-dated coin may fetch up to £2,000 at a World Cup Memorabilia sale in London next week.
      Read More on The Sun
      Hundreds of lots include Sir Geoff Hurst’s 1970 shirt, which could sell for £3,000.
      A Distinguished Flying Cross awarded to 1966 commentary legend and RAF volunteer Kenneth Wolstenholme is set to go for at least £10,000. More

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      in Soccer

      Liverpool owner’s eye-watering asking price revealed as club could become latest to come under Middle Eastern ownership

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      LIVERPOOL could become the latest Premier League football club under Middle Eastern ownership after owners Fenway Sports Group put them up for sale.US billionaire businessman John Henry wants £4billion to sell the Anfield club.
      Liverpool boss Jurgen Klopp pictured with owner John Henry in 2017Credit: Getty
      That would represent a 1,200 per cent mark-up on the £300million he paid to buy out previous American owners Tom Hicks and George Gillett in 2010.
      And it raises the prospect of Liverpool joining Abu Dhabi-owned Manchester City and Saudi-run Newcastle in being owned by the oil bounty of the Gulf.
      Henry will expect considerably more than the £2.5billion paid by fellow American Todd Boehly when he bought out Roman Abramovich’s Chelsea stake in the summer.
      Britain’s richest man Jim Ratcliffe could afford to buy the club.
      READ MORE ON LIVERPOOL FC
      He made a bid for Chelsea, but his allegiance is to Liverpool rivals Manchester United, so an offer is less likely.
      But the news Henry and partner Tom Werner are ready to sell up will leave many Liverpool fans hoping for a new sugar daddy owner who will give manager Jurgen Klopp a budget to compete for the world’s best players.
      FSG has asked US financial giants Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley to produce a “sales deck”, outlining the costs and benefits for buyers.
      In a statement which effectively confirmed a sale is feasible, the owners said: “Under the right terms and conditions we would consider new shareholders if it was in the best interests of Liverpool as a club.
      Most read in The Sun
      “FSG remains committed to the success of Liverpool, both on and off the field.”
      Since taking over the club 12 years ago, FSG has overseen a substantial rebuild of Anfield including a new main stand.
      Read More on The Sun
      Most importantly, the club lifted its first Premier League trophy in 2020, reached three Champions League Finals — losing twice to Real Madrid — and beat Spurs in the Spanish capital in 2019.
      The team won the FA Cup and League Cup last season. More

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      in Soccer

      Prince William makes awkward comment to Harry Kane ahead of World Cup

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      PRINCE William risked an awkward clash with Harry Kane — by saying England defeats have helped him deal with life’s disappointments.The royal sat down for a chat with the England skipper and fellow Three Lions’ ace Declan Rice, a fortnight from their opening World Cup match in Qatar.
      Prince William sat down with Harry Kane a fortnight before England’s World Cup opening matchCredit: YouTube/COPA90 Football
      William photographed with footie royalty – World Cup hopefuls Harry Kane and Declan Rice
      Discussing football’s effect on mental health, William told them that England crashing out of previous tournaments had taught him valuable life lessons.
      He also revealed he loved the “carnage” of school football matches, and how he modelled his own game on former England defender Rio Ferdinand, though far less successfully.
      Meanwhile, Rice spoke about the current England squad’s positive mindset — and revealed the Euro final loss to Italy at Wembley last year had brought them closer together.
      William, 40, told the pair: “You learn by playing a number of times, and many other things in life, that disappointment is part of life and how you handle it is crucial.
      READ MORE WORLD CUP 2022
      “Handling some of those really disappointing England results in the past, that was hard.
      “I found that really difficult, because again the same euphoria that we had comes crashing down.
      “You feel high and all together, and then normal life just gets on again.”
      William told how at school he would sometimes join in four games with 60 pupils playing at the same time.
      Most read in The Sun
      He said: “Some of the greatest friendships are born from playing games and being pushed together in slight adversity.
      “The sheer size and scale and just the fun of everyone running around chasing each other, I loved it.
      “I was a defender, I was stuck at the back and told to just tackle.”
      The prince said he looked to former Man United defender Rio for “inspiration” but joked: “He was ahead of me just a little bit as time went on.”
      He added it was a “big moment for me” when then-boy wonder Wayne Rooney made his first England appearance at the age of 17.
      West Ham captain Rice, 23, told how the heartache of losing to Italy on penalties in the Euro 2020 final at Wembley last summer was eased by manager Gareth Southgate.
      The prince said it was a ‘big moment’ for him when Wayne Rooney made his first England appearanceCredit: PA
      He said: “There was a special moment after that game, the togetherness when we all came into a huddle after we’d lost that, and Gareth said some really important words.
      “As a group, I think that brought us forward together because then we had to qualify for a World Cup in the next round of games.
      “We really overcame that setback of losing that final, showed our togetherness and our strength and I feel that we are in a really good place as a national team.”
      In the 25-minute video chat – released a fortnight before England play Iran – William praised the work of Shout, a free and confidential 24-hour text messaging service for people struggling with their mental health.
      Kane, 29, revealed his love of football began when his dad gave him a fiver after he scored his first goal aged five.
      And he was now trying to help youngsters himself, as Shout has worked with his charitable Harry Kane Foundation.
      Read More on The Sun
      The Spurs forward said: “My aim is to, especially to the younger generation, talk to them and try and provide ways of talking about mental health and wellbeing.
      “The more we talk about it and open up, it will definitely help solve and hopefully encourage people not to be afraid to ask for help, especially when you are feeling a little bit lower.”                    More

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      in Soccer

      Three Lions ace Ivan Toney hands mobile to FA investigators looking into match-betting claims

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      THREE Lions striker Ivan Toney has handed his phone to FA investigators looking into match-betting claims, The Sun can reveal.The £50million star was also understood to have allowed officials into his apartment to look at personal records.
      He has been questioned over claims that wagers were placed on games, in strict breach of FA rules on gamblingCredit: Shutterstock
      Despite being caught up in the seven-month investigation, Brentford ace Toney was surprisingly still picked by Gareth SouthgateCredit: Getty
      After handing over his mobile to the investigators, a string of the 26-year-old’s contacts on the handset have been approached.
      It raises the prospect that other top-flight footballers have been questioned over claims that wagers were placed on games — in breach of strict FA rules on gambling.
      Brentford ace Toney, 26, was surprisingly still picked by Gareth Southgate despite being caught up in the seven-month investigation.
      He is widely expected to be named in his England squad for the World Cup in Qatar on Thursday.
      READ MORE WORLD CUP 2022
      But football’s integrity will be questioned if he is picked and later charged.
      Sources say the ace has become “incredibly worried” the investigation could cost him his place.
      One said: “Ivan isn’t stupid, he knows it doesn’t look good — even though he insists he has done nothing wrong.
      “The best thing for everyone would be if the FA could clear him in time — so his place in Gareth Southgate’s squad comes down to his football.
      Most read in The Sun
      “He has done everything that is asked of him — he has handed over his phone and records and even spoken to investigators at his apartment.
      “Some of his closest friends have already been contacted — so it is clear the FA are taking this seriously.
      “Ivan just doesn’t want anything to get in the way of his dream of playing for his country at a World Cup.”
      There is no suggestion of any criminal activity by Toney or that he attempted to fix the outcome of any match.
      Read More on The Sun
      No charges have been brought by FA chiefs against the player.
      Toney’s agent and the FA were approached for comment. More

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      in Soccer

      Premier League star suffers serious groin injury from embarrassing reason, top doctor reveals

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      A PREMIER League star suffered a serious groin injury from “vociferous sex”, a top surgeon has revealed.The ace even showed him the unusual position in which he picked up the injury.
      A Premier League ace has picked up a groin injury performing an unusual sex actCredit: Getty
      He had to have a keyhole op and was keen to not share the detail with his manager.
      In an exclusive interview, Professor Aali Sheen, 51 — known as The Herniator because of his expertise fixing hundreds of sports stars’ groin injuries — has lifted the lid on it all.
      One Prem ace needed surgery after a coughing and sneezing bout.
      Prof Aali, from South London but now based in Manchester, has a book out called The Painted Surgeon.
      READ MORE ON FOOTBALL NEWS
      He has treated over 3,000 sports patients and often sees players from the likes of Liverpool and Chelsea.
      He told The Sun on Sunday: “Groin injuries all come about from twisting and turning but it can happen in unusual circumstances sometimes.
      “One top Premier League player was sent to me by his club doctor.
      “He had serious pain in his groin and he told me he’d been having hard and vociferous sex with his partner.
      Most read in The Sun
      “He was graphic about what happened and even showed me the position he suffered it in, which was unusual but helpful.
      Read More on The Sun
      “I operated on him and he was fully fit again in four weeks.”
      The Painted Surgeon is out now priced at £12.99. More

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      in Soccer

      Three Lions ace Ivan Toney investigated by FA over match-betting ahead of this month’s World Cup

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      THREE Lions ace Ivan Toney is at the centre of a match-betting probe.The £50million Brentford striker is being investigated by Football Association officials over allegations of wagers placed on games.
      Three Lions ace Ivan Toney is at the centre of a match-betting probe.Credit: Getty
      The allegations are believed to relate solely to the period when Toney was at one of his previous clubs – not current Premier League side BrentfordCredit: Focus Images
      Toney seen training with England skipper Harry KaneCredit: Richard Pelham / The Sun
      Toney, 26, is widely expected to be in England’s squad for the World Cup in Qatar, which starts a fortnight today.
      Astonishingly, despite the ongoing investigation, he was picked for Three Lions duty during recent Nations League matches — but did not play.
      The allegations are believed to relate solely to the period when Toney was at one of his previous clubs. A source said: “Ivan is aware of the investigation. He is concerned but is adamant that he has done nothing wrong.
      “The FA is duty-bound to act fully on allegations they receive. But it is obviously a highly sensitive matter for the FA as he is a potential candidate for the England World Cup squad.”
      READ MORE ON QATAR 22
      No charges have been brought by FA chiefs against the player.
      There is no suggestion of any criminal activity by Toney — who also previously played for Newcastle United — or that he attempted to fix the outcome of any match.
      However, under FA rules, all ­professional men and top women players face a worldwide ban on all football betting.
      The laws are so strict they include gambling on transfers, manager jobs and team selection and apply to players and managers, match officials and club staff.
      Most read in Football
      They state that players “shall not bet, either directly or indirectly, or instruct, permit, cause or enable any person to bet on the result, progress, conduct or any other aspect of, or occurrence in or in connection with a football match or competition.
      “Or any other matter concerning or related to football anywhere in the world, including, for example and without limitation, the transfer of players, employment of managers, team selection or disciplinary matters.”
      Last night Toney tweeted: “I have been assisting the Football Association with their enquiries and will not be making any comment until such investigation has reached its conclusion. 
      “I am a proud Englishman and it has always been my dream to play for my country at a World Cup.”
      Toney — regarded as one of the world’s best penalty-takers — was selected for Three Lions duty for Nations League matches against Germany and Italy in September.
      Despite hailing Toney’s place at the training camp, England boss Southgate failed to use him, then appeared to cast doubt on his squad place. 
      Southgate said: “I understand the push as it is so close to the World Cup but there is life for Ivan Toney beyond the World Cup as well. He’s very much in the frame and what he does with his club between now and then is also really important.”
      The fact that he was selected by FA bosses while he was being probed by the investigators from the same organisation will prompt questions about the governing body’s handling of the matter.
      If Toney is found to have breached FA rules his selection would be in conflict with the FA’s commitment to transparency over betting. Its website says: “The FA wants to preserve what is great in the beautiful game and has devised rules regarding betting in football to help protect the integrity and future of football.”
      Despite hailing Toney’s place at the training camp, England boss Southgate failed to use him, then appeared to cast doubt on his place in the squadCredit: Getty
      If Toney is found to have breached FA rules his selection would be in conflict with the FA’s commitment to transparency over betting.Credit: Rex
      It adds: “The FA, the Gambling Commission and betting companies have sophisticated systems to monitor and detect breaches of the betting rules. These organisations advise us of issues that arise in the cash, telephone and online betting markets.
      “If found guilty, then this can lead to financial penalties, suspensions, and in some instances, lifetime bans.
      “It is your responsibility to make sure you know the rules and help support the collective effort from the football authorities, players, clubs and officials, to protect the integrity of the game. The rules have never been clearer or easier to understand.”
      A source said: “It seems incredible that a high-profile star could be chosen for England duty at the same time that he is being investigated over betting. England footballers are role models for millions of youngsters and their conduct in relation to the sport must reflect that status.
      “Fans have a right to know if a star player is being probed — their focus must be entirely on winning the World Cup with no distractions.”
      Tory MP Julian Knight, chairman of the Digital, Culture, Media and Sport select committee, said: “These are serious allegations being made.
      “Football needs to be transparent. Any allegation of this nature needs to be investigated and there is a clear public interest.”
      Although there is no suggestion Toney is a gambling addict, Gareth Southgate is concerned about the impact of gambling on players.
      He witnessed first-hand its impact on ex-England team-mates Paul Merson, Tony Adams and Paul Gascoigne when he was a player.
      Before taking up his current role, he said: “Gambling is an addictive pastime. I think it’s for the national manager to step in if they feel there is an issue. 
      “People have always gambled in squads and sometimes in the squads I was involved in it got people together. But some of the sums being spoken at the moment would be disturbing no matter what you’re earning.
      “There is a duty for everybody involved to make sure those problems don’t get out of hand.” 
      The FA’s regulations were put in place after football was rocked by a string of betting controversies in 2014. A number of top players have been hit with bans — though they all involved more serious conduct than that being investigated over Toney.
      In 2020 ex-Chelsea star Daniel Sturridge was banned for four months and fined £150,000 for texting brother Leon to bet on his possible move from Liverpool to Sevilla.
      In 2019 Newcastle and England full-back Kieran Trippier was banned for ten weeks and fined £70,000 for WhatsApping pals “Lump on if you want” over his rumoured move to Atletico Madrid.
      In 2017, Joey Barton was banned for 18 months after placing 1,260 bets on matches between 2006 and 2013 — including games in which he played.
      In October ex-Reading defender Kynan Isaac was banned for 12 years for deliberately earning a yellow card in an FA Cup first-round tie.
      Read More on The Sun
      He was hit with a ten-year ban for the scam with pals and a further two years for failing to co-operate with the FA investigation and further betting.
      Toney’s agent and the FA were approached for comment. 
      SPOT-KICK KING’S RISE TO THE TOPBy Michael Hamilton
      IVAN Toney has risen from relative obscurity to the brink of England’s World Cup squad.
      He has won plaudits for his swashbuckling style and has scored eight times this season for Premier League side Brentford.
      Toney joined Newcastle in 2015 as a teenager but only made two appearances for the Toon, who sent him out on loans. He plied his trade at Wigan, Scunthorpe and Barnsley.
      He moved to Peterborough in 2018 — scoring 40 times in 76 appearances before switching to Brentford in 2020 for a modest £5million.
      Toney scored 31 Championship goals to fire the West London club into the Premier League. His good form continued last season as he scored 12 times.
      He has an impressive penalty record – netting 25 of 26 spot-kicks.
      A World Cup place would take him to new heights. More