The prolific striker on his cat tattoo, the times he wanted to give up and the moment that set him back on a path to the top
There is a tattoo on Ivan Toney’s torso depicting a tiger staring back at a kitten that is looking at its reflection in a puddle. As the Brentford striker has learned over the years, mentality is king. “It shows it doesn’t matter how others see you,” he says. “If you see yourself as a winner, you’re going to be a winner, you’re going to make sure you become a winner. If you see yourself as fearless, you’ll be fearless. I think that goes far, not just in football but in everything. If you want to achieve something, it doesn’t matter what others think, you have got to make sure you achieve it.”
Five years on from his last Premier League appearance – Toney’s top-flight experience consists of two cameos as a teenage substitute for Newcastle in 2015-16, the second against Manchester United – he is set to lead the line when Brentford entertain Arsenal on Friday, adamant the “big boys” do not scare them. “All I remember is giving the ball away and United nearly scoring in that game. I was not involved again after that,” he says, with a booming chuckle.
