Boost for Sheffield United's relegation rivals Brentford as £100m Ivan Toney vows to repay faith after ban

Ivan Toney has vowed to repay the faith shown by Sheffield United's relegation rivals Brentford when he returns from his gambling ban later this month. The England striker has not played since last May after being found guilty of 232 breaches of the Football Association's gambling rules and handed an eight-month suspension.

The 27-year-old has watched helplessly at Thomas Frank's side losing seven of their last eight Premier League games - including one to United - to slip to 16th in the table, and just four points above the drop zone. They are 10 points ahead of United ahead of Toney's return but if Chris Wilder's side are to survive this season they will have to reel in at least one club currently outside the relegation zone and with fourth-bottom Everton generating some real positive momentum in the face of their 10-point Premier League deduction, Brentford's recent form has earmarked them as potential strugglers.

"Thomas Frank has been nothing but the biggest help I could have asked for," said Toney in an interview with Sky Sports ahead of his Premier League comeback game against Nottingham Forest on January 20. The whole club has. From putting on extra sessions for me, from taking their time out to put a session on and go outside when it's raining when they're not supposed to be in.

"I have a lot to repay them and I can't wait to try and do that. The fans were behind me. Even when I wasn't at their games, they were singing my name. A friend of mine sent me a video of the fans singing my name, I got goosebumps to know that they're still behind me, even though I'm not there.

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"With Brentford, they're struggling at the moment but I'm sure when I'm back I will play a big part to get them out of the losing form they've been in. I can't wait to get back and be helping my teammates."

Toney admitted he lost his love for football during his long lay-off. "I didn't watch football for a while. In a way I punished myself," he added. "There was a stage I probably did fall out of love with football. Missing games and not being around my teammates was tough. I was confused but what's done is done now, I can't dwell on these things. Life's not fair, we know this. The more you dwell on it, the more it's going to hurt you."