Alan Shearer has hailed the ‘really, really impressive’ performance of Ivan Toney as Brentford beat Leeds United 5-2 in the Premier League on Saturday, as he told Match of the Day.
The Premier League’s all-time leading top-scorer shared how Toney, who scored a stunning hat-trick against Leeds, is a player that is ‘horrible’ and ‘nasty’ to play against and an England call might be around for the 26-year-old.
It could have been very different for Toney in the summer because Leeds were thought to be keen on his signature, amongst other Premier League clubs, but he stayed put at Brentford.
Scoring a hat-trick in the Premier League is impressive enough, but doing it in such a cool and slick way that Toney did it in was just adding another level to his game.
His opening goal came from the penalty spot, which he walked into the back of the net, before he channelled his inner James Ward-Prowse and scored a brilliant free-kick, and finally rounded off his afternoon by pouncing on an Illan Meslier mistake and chipping the Leeds goalkeeper from outside of the penalty area.
All in all, it left Newcastle legend Shearer impressed, as he shared what he liked about the striker’s performance.
“Really, really impressive,” said Shearer. “He is horrible to play against. Nasty, in a good way, which you have to be. The defenders know they have been in a game when they have played against him.
“He makes it really difficult for them. Awkward to play against. Sinisterra makes a rash challenge and it’s a penalty. He is really clever and really good at these penalties, we have seen his technique before. Then what a strike that is (free-kick goal).
“Full of confidence. Meslier comes out and makes a mistake. One player you don’t want it to fall to is, the form and confidence he now has. Sticks it through the defender’s legs. Look at the belief. Look at that ability. No panic. He makes it look very, very easy, which it isn’t.
“England form? With the squad coming up?”
ENGLAND CALL FOR TONEY?
Last season, Toney scored 12 goals and supplied five assists from his 33 matches for Brentford, which is pretty impressive for a newly-promoted team.
And he is eager to smash through that tally during this campaign because he already have five goals to his name from six matches.
Rightly so, there are some questioning about whether Gareth Southgate should hand the former Peterborough player with an England call, especially with the 2022 World Cup in Qatar around the corner.
Tammy Abraham and Ollie Watkins are the strikers who have been picked in more recent times, whilst Dominic Calvert-Lewin, who was at Euro 2020, is still injured.
Receive exclusive football transfer news and updates twice a week to your mailbox
