We all knew the end was coming, the air was thick with the stench of an ending, but of all places Al-Ahli and the Saudi Pro League… How many of us truly saw Ivan Toney heading into wealthy exile when he left the Gtech? Yeah, me neither.
With long-term suitors Arsenal deciding that a loan deal for Raheem Sterling is preferable over signing a dead-shot from 12-yards and averaged a goal every 2 games for the Bees, the options left for Toney elsewhere dried up. Arsenal will regret their foolish choice
A prolific goal scorer, a mastermind from 12-yards and a leader in the dressing room who drives standards up amongst his team-mates or a man who has complained about every team he has ever played for when he is no longer the star man, who can only score goals when his life depends on it and is so consistent at making the wrong choice in the final third that I have named a syndrome after him…. why would anyone go for the latter??
All that really matters I suppose is that Arsenal have made their choice and Toney then had to make his. Choosing the wasteland at the peak of his career is such a waste of a mercurial talent who we all know should have been on the plane to the FIFA World Cup 2022.
Lunchtime of November 12th 2022 at the Etihad where his superb stoppage-time winner sent ecstasy on steroids surging through the away end will remain one of my favourite memories of this beautiful game of ours for decades to come.
His brace that day was the icing on a virtuoso performance, when even for the millionaires of Manchester couldn’t handle the magician of the bus stop.
From humble beginnings at hometown club Northampton Town and after enduring a loan-ridden stay in the North East his career finally took off at Peterborough, where averaging a goal every other game got him the move to West London where he would make his name, break into the England squad and ride the wave of genius to Euro 2024.
Now he slides off to Saudi having been dropped from the England squad by interim manager Lee Carsley and with little prospect of forcing a recall, whilst playing in the desert.
Thank you for the memories Ivan, you will always be a legend in West London.
Sterling Syndrome: when you’re in the box and don’t know what to do with the ball think through all the options for long enough to be dispossessed then whinge to the media about how it’s everyone else in the teams fault that you don’t score more often.
The Football tourist 