England striker Ivan Toney to face trial in 2028 over nightclub assault allegations

England striker Ivan Toney will face trial over an alleged assault at a Soho nightclub in summer 2028.

The 30-year-old footballer is accused of headbutting and punching Saber Da Silva during a confrontation at a nightclub in Wardour Street, central London , on December 6 last year.

Toney appeared at Southwark Crown Court on Thursday morning and formally entered a not guilty plea to a charge of assault occasioning actual bodily harm.

During the five-minute hearing, a provisional trial date was set for the same court on June 12, 2028 by Judge Christopher Hehir, who told the defendant he was "sorry" about the delay.

He said: "That's a long way in advance and I'm sorry about that. As you may know, the crown courts are operating under a great deal of pressure. We have got a massive backlog of work for various reasons."

Toney arrived at court at around 9.10am wearing black sunglasses, grey trousers and a button-up jacket over a shirt and tie.

He was released on unconditional bail after the brief hearing.

An earlier hearing was told the alleged assault happened at the 100 Wardour Street club during a confrontation between the defendant and Mr Da Silva.

It was heard the two men "squared up to each other", before Toney allegedly "lunged forward and headbutted the complainant, followed by a few punches".

The criminal case came after a Metropolitan Police investigation and the charge was announced in late July.

Toney, of Northampton, represented England at this summer's World Cup and has made 10 international appearances and scored one goal.

He missed out on the latest squad for the country's Nations League ties.

Toney started his football career with Northampton Town and played for teams including Wigan Athletic and Peterborough United before signing for Brentford in 2020.

He scored 72 goals during four years with the Bees before making a surprise switch in 2024 to Saudi Pro League club Al-Ahli.