Ivan Toney pleads not guilty to assaulting nightclub security guard in London court

Ivan Toney pleaded not guilty to causing actual bodily harm at Westminster Magistrates’ Court on Wednesday, after being charged over an alleged assault on a security guard at a Soho nightclub in central London on 6 December 2025.

The Al-Ahli and England forward, 30, was formally charged on 31 July in connection with the alleged incident on Wardour Street, in which nightclub security guard Saber Da Silva is said to have been assaulted. Toney had been due to appear in court on 24 September, but the hearing was pushed back a week following a request received the day before.

When the criminal case first became public, a spokesperson for Toney indicated he intended to fight the charge. “Ivan acknowledges the charge and although he is naturally shocked, he looks forward to being given the opportunity to clear his name in court,” the statement read.

The case adds a significant off-field complication for a player who had been building momentum on the pitch. Toney represented England at the World Cup earlier this summer and has earned 10 caps for the national team, scoring once. However, he was omitted from Thomas Tuchel’s squad for the four Nations League fixtures during the current international break, with Dominic Calvert-Lewin among those called up in his place.

Despite the off-field uncertainty, Toney has made a striking start to the Saudi Pro League season with Al-Ahli, scoring 10 goals and registering one assist in just seven league appearances. Those figures take his overall tally at the club to 82 goals and 18 assists across 103 appearances since his move from Brentford in 2024.

Before leaving England, Toney had established himself as one of the Premier League’s most dangerous forwards, netting 21 times for Brentford during the 2022/23 season after earlier spells at Newcastle and Peterborough. He is next expected to feature for Al-Ahli when they travel to Al Fateh on 9 October.