Frank thanks Southgate for allowing him to bring joy to Brentford star Toney

Thomas Frank hailed Gareth Southgate's classy touch that allowed the Brentford manager to tell Ivan Toney he had made the England squad.

Clinical striker Toney was called up for England for the first time on Thursday, and the 26-year-old is now aiming for the chance to qualify for the World Cup in November.

Toney became Brentford's first choice in England in 83 years, leaving the west Londoners in high spirits ahead of Sunday's Premier League clash against Arsenal.

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And Danish Bees manager Frank wanted to thank Southgate for allowing him to share Toney's special moment.

"I'm very, very happy, but I don't think I can beat Ivan's happiness," Frank said.

"But there is a nice little touch to the story, I would say, and that is that Gareth Southgate has just shown what a great man he is.

"He texted me earlier in the morning and was like, 'Thomas, you can tell Ivan the news.

"It's not often that we as head coaches or managers can deliver the good news.

"We've had to be tough on them for a long time, maybe they're not playing. It's so rare to be able to be completely positive.

"I've said many times that it's 90% pain and 10% joy. And it was definitely a very joyful time to be able to call him and give him the right message.

"It's not often that Ivan is speechless, but he was laughing and just very happy. And I think it's a wonderful story.

"He's a very confident guy and it certainly hasn't been an easy journey for him. I know he's dreamed of being an England international since he was a kid.

"Of course, the path to the first order took a few detours, so that's amazing."

Toney went through the Northampton setup before moving to Newcastle, but after six loan spells in three years he left.

The powerful striker shone at Peterborough before moving to Brentford, helping the Bees achieve their maiden stint in the Premier League.

Toney has already scored five goals in the new Premier League campaign, and Frank has backed him for a World Cup spot.

"Gareth Southgate to decide of course, but if I was putting a team together I would choose him," Frank said.

"I haven't followed Tammy Abraham closely enough in Rome, but I know Ivan has a lot to offer. His ability in the box and his link-up play are at a very, very high international level.

"And I really think Ivan's potential is not at its peak yet. The sky's the limit, I would say.

"I think it's also a much bigger moment for Brentford than people realize, especially if you've been here a long time.

"Just 15 years ago, we were last in Ligue 2, we faced MK Dons at home and lost 3-0 in front of 4,000 fans.

"Now, 15 years later, we have our first England international in 83 years, and we are playing our second season in the Premier League.

"So it's a remarkable story, and you can see the joy and the proud eyes when I talk to the people at the club and around the fans. It's very big."