October 12, 2024
“I’ll go to Saudi Arabia to see Ivan Toney,” insists Lee Carsley

“I’ll go to Saudi Arabia to see Ivan Toney,” insists Lee Carsley

Ivan Toney – I will go to Saudi Arabia to see Ivan Toney, insists Lee Carsley

Lee Carsley has left the door open for Ivan Toney to return to England and revealed he would like to see the striker for himself in Saudi Arabia.

Toney left English football to join Saudi Arabian club Al-Ahli on the final day of the Premier League transfer window, but, as revealed Telegraph Sportdid not give up his career in England.

Carsley, who is in caretaker charge of the Three Lions, could become the first England manager to travel to Saudi Arabia on a scouting mission to observe Toney.

Although he continued to select Jordan Henderson during his short spell at Al-Ettifaq, former England manager Gareth Southgate never personally travelled to Saudi Arabia to observe the midfielder.

Netherlands manager Ronald Koeman this week told former Tottenham Hotspur winger Steven Bergwijn his international career was over after his move to Saudi Arabia. But Carsley has not closed the door on Toney, who was part of the England squad that reached the European Championship final.

“I was thinking about it, to be honest,” Carsley said. “I think ultimately, as interim head coach, I don’t think I can rule anybody out.

“It would be really interesting to go out [to Saudi Arabia] and see Ivan play, see the level, the pace and the level. We have access to the games, so I’ll definitely follow his progress there. It would be nice to go and see a real live game to get a feel for the atmosphere and the pace of the game, because sometimes you don’t really see it on video. But, yeah, he’s definitely not out of the question.

“I have an idea of ​​the football that is played there, but I have never been there and I have never seen it. So I think it would be unwise to rule anyone out. So he is not ruled out and, yes, I would like to go and see what the football is like there.”

Toney was not considered for Carsley’s first two games in charge of England, against the Republic of Ireland and Finland, having not played any club football this season due to his move to Saudi Arabia from Brentford and he also did not train fully.

But Toney will have trained fully and played ahead of England’s October Nations League games against Greece and Finland, which Carsley will also be in caretaker charge of.

Toney’s first game for Al-Ahli will come against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr after the international break, with new team-mates including Roberto Firmino and goalkeeper Édouard Mendy, who he faced in the Premier League.

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