Wilson advises Toney to stay put with The Bees

CALLUM Wilson has warned Ivan Toney, pictured left, about the potential dangers of moving to a bigger club.

Brentford striker Toney – who played for Newcastle United as a youngster – is replicating the form that saw him smash the Championship goalscoring record last season.

Questions over whether he can cut it in the Premier League have been answered and rumours linking him with a move have emerged.

A return to Tyneside was mooted by The Telegraph in April, just three years after leaving due to a lack of first-team opportunities.

Rafa Benitez’s remit to secure instant promotion back to the top flight saw the tried and tested Dwight Gayle arrive in 2016 – limiting Toney’s chances on Tyneside.

The now 26-year-old has enjoyed a respectable debut season in the Premier League, netting 12 goals to steer Brentford comfortably clear of the drop zone.

Despite his solid goal return, Toney is yet to receive an England call-up and Wilson believes he should stay put if he harbours international ambitions.

“You talk about how he (Toney) wants to play for England, he’s playing and scoring at Brentford,” he told the Footballer’s Football podcast. “You go to a bigger team the competition is bigger, you might not even be playing as much and being on the bench a lot more.

“Really then you’re not going to be in Gareth Southgate’s mind, so you need to stay relevant and be the main guy. Yeah, he can go to another team and he might take on that challenge and thrive but there is always that risk.

“There are always going to be players, the higher you go, two or three of the same quality players in that position.”