EFL Awards 2021: Brentford striker Ivan Toney nominated for Championship Player of the Season prize

Brentford striker Ivan Toney is up against two of Norwich’s promotion-winning stars in the battle to be named as the Championship Player of the Season for 2020/21.

The former Newcastle striker has hugely impressed in his maiden campaign with the Bees following a summer move from League One outfit Peterborough United, leading the second-tier scoring charts with 29 goals in just 42 appearances.

Toney has also registered 10 assists during a memorable campaign that has seen him spearhead Brentford’s latest Premier League push and also fill the void left by the respective departures of Ollie Watkins and Said Benrahma.

The 25-year-old was recognised for his remarkable consistency on Monday after being included on a three-man EFL shortlist for the Championship Player of the Season award.

Toney will face competition from Golden Boot rival Teemu Pukki as well as the latter’s Norwich team-mate Emi Buendia, who many consider to be the most talented player in the EFL. The Canaries’ Max Aarons is also up for Young Player of the Season, along with Reading star Michael Olise and Blackburn’s Liverpool loanee Harvey Elliott.

Finnish frontman Pukki has helped fire Daniel Farke’s side to an instant top-flight return with 25 goals in 40 games, while Argentine playmaker Buendia has 14 goals and a whopping 16 assists to his name this term - five more than any other player - with two matches still to play.

Pukki collected the award after the 2018/19 season, while last year it was claimed by Watkins, who subsequently left Brentford for Aston Villa after their heartbreaking play-off final defeat by west London rivals Fulham.

Toney, meanwhile, claimed best player honours in League One last season after firing 26 goals across all competitions for Peterborough.

Despite a 1-0 win at fellow promotion-chasers Bournemouth on Saturday, third-placed Brentford can no longer hope to secure automatic promotion this season and are instead braced for the lottery of the play-offs once again.

Thomas Frank’s men still have to face relegation battlers Rotherham United, promoted Watford and Bristol City before the end of the regular season, though they are already guaranteed a top-six finish thanks to Bryan Mbeumo’s late winner on the south coast.

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