Southgate of England believes that Toney is better than the Belgium match

The manager of England, Gareth Southgate, stated that Ivan Toney’s abilities are “under-estimated” and predicted the in-form forward to make the most of his first start for the national team in Tuesday’s friendly against Belgium.

With leading scorer Harry Kane out due to injury, Toney, who has one cap for England as a substitute, is looking to make an impression in the lead-up to Euro 2024.

After serving an eight-month suspension for breaking FA betting regulations, the 28-year-old Toney returned to duty in January and has scored four goals in ten games for Brentford.

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In Brazil’s 1-0 loss on Saturday, Ollie Watkins, the forward for Aston Villa, played the entire ninety minutes, leaving Toney on the bench.

“I believe that there are instances when the caliber of (Toney’s) football is underestimated. We’re still getting to know all of those strengths because you don’t fully understand a player until you deal with them more frequently, Southgate said to reporters.

The geography of England, however, does not present you with countless opportunities. He enters the game with confidence, having recently had success with his club.

“There is no doubt that he will be on the pitch on Tuesday. It’s important to have confidence. That confidence, that swagger. “Every elite striker has it,” Southgate continued.

“Despite his size, he is more than just a target man. He also plays link play with excellent quality. (His record of penalties) is unquestionably a valuable asset. It goes without saying that we must adjust the squad’s balance.”

Editing by Ed Osmond, reporting from Bengaluru by Shifa Jahan