Ivan Toney urged to ‘prove people wrong’ after England setback by Brentford boss Thomas Frank

Brentford boss Thomas Frank has urged Ivan Toney to bring his mindset back to the Premier League after missing England’s move.

The Bees striker earned his first call-up to Gareth Southgate’s side for their most recent Nations League games, but Toney watched from the sidelines.

His club coach was empathetic but challenged his attacker to move on quickly and focus on Saturday’s game in Bournemouth.

“It was obviously very important for Ivan to get to the camp in England,” Frank said.

“It doesn’t matter if he didn’t come on the field, it was still a big moment in his life and a big thing.

“Unfortunately, he didn’t get on the field. Of course he wanted to play, of course I wanted him to play, the Brentford fans, we all hoped he would come on the pitch but it’s Gareth’s decision and I know what it’s like to be head coach.

Toney earned his first England squad for recent Nations League ties

“There are a thousand things to consider. You have to think best for the team and not for an individual player. As far as I know there were quite a few other players who didn’t get on the field.

“From our perspective, and we’re only looking at our side of the elephant, it’s hard to see the bigger perspective. Of course we wanted him on the pitch, but it is Gareth’s decision and he has done a very good job for England.

“The way to success is to show resilience and bounce back from minor setbacks. Ivan hoped to get on the field; we need to move forward and prove people wrong by performing well. Ivan has a strong mentality.’

Frank will have to do without a club record tally this weekend for Keane Lewis-Potter, who has suffered a ‘minor’ ankle/foot injury.

Brentford boss Thomas Frank has challenged his striker to move on quickly after the disappointment

Ethan Pinnock could return to Premier League action after missing the start of the season, but Frank stressed that this would likely only be in an emergency scenario, with Christian Norgaard (Achilles) still ‘weeks away’ from a return.

Frank was quick to praise Saturday’s opponents, who are unbeaten since their 9-0 game against Liverpool in August and have no new injuries to report after the international break.

“After a game like Liverpool you either fall apart or you stick together and show that you are stronger,” he added. “They have players who can hurt us. Dom Solanke is a very good striker and Ryan Christie has done well too.

‘It will be a big challenge again. Since taking the helm, Gary O’Neil has done a very good job. He has two draws and a win on the results side and the performance is very solid as well. They were hard to play against.’