Ivan Toney’s tattoos include a kitten that sees a tiger in its reflection, family portraits, a line about discipline and regret, and several football references. He has explained some of the larger pieces himself; other designs are visible in photographs but have no confirmed public meaning.
The tiger and kitten tattoo is about self-belief

The tiger-and-kitten scene sits on Toney’s torso. He explained it to The Guardian in 2021 after a reporter noticed the design. When asked how long he would keep going, he replied, “Until I win.” He said it matters how you see yourself, not how other people see you: they may see a kitten, while you see a tiger.
At the time, Toney had just helped Brentford reach the Premier League by winning the Championship play-off final. He also spoke about a difficult path and moments when he questioned whether to continue. That context helps explain why the image resonated with him, but the reporting doesn’t say it was made for the promotion or any one match. He described self-perception and persistence, not a promise that the tattoo would bring success.

Family portraits bring his chest tattoos close to home

A 2021 profile identified portraits of Toney’s late grandmother, Elma, his grandfather, Benjamin, and his son, Ivan Jr, among the tattoos on his chest and torso. Shirts and match photos can obscure the designs, but a closer image shows the portraits alongside other pieces.
The subjects make family a clear part of the collection. The reporting does not establish when each portrait was tattooed, who did them, or what each one means to Toney personally, so there’s no need to add a story about grief or fatherhood that he hasn’t shared.

The discipline-and-regret lettering across his chest

The sentence across Toney’s chest reads, “Suffer the pain of discipline or suffer the pain of regret.” It puts the effort required now alongside the regret of wishing you had made it. The line has been reported during coverage of his first England call-up and rise with Brentford.
His career included youth football, a move to Newcastle, several loan spells and a period rebuilding before Brentford signed him. Toney has discussed setbacks, but no source connects the tattoo to one manager, transfer or specific moment. In photographs, the lettering is usually covered by his shirt and becomes visible when he lifts it or celebrates bare-chested. The full sentence matters; shortening it loses the contrast that completes the thought.
The No 17 and football tattoos mark his Brentford chapter

A 2021 profile identified the number 17 and a football on Toney’s torso. Seventeen was his Brentford shirt number then, and the profile described the ball as a symbol of his love for the game. It points to that part of his career; the sources don’t say the number marks a birthday or private date.
Shirt numbers change, but a tattoo stays put. The number is best understood in its Brentford context, rather than as a reference to every club he has played for.
The cross and “Original” tattoos around his neck


Photographs show a small cross on the side of Toney’s neck. In a 2026 interview, The Guardian also noted “Original” in front of his left ear. The interview confirms the word and location but does not explain its meaning. The cross is visible too, though Toney has not given a verified explanation of that particular design.
The two marks appear in different photographs. Their proximity doesn’t establish that they were done together, by the same artist, or for the same reason. The pictures show where the ink sits; the rest remains unconfirmed.

What the visible arm ink tells us, and what it does not

Match photos show tattoos across Toney’s arms, though many small details are too indistinct to identify. Coverage in 2024 estimated that he had around 50 tattoos. That was an approximate count at the time, not a permanent total; new pieces and extensions can change how the collection is counted.
The clearest reported subjects include family, football, self-belief and discipline, but not every tattoo has a public explanation. An image can show the extent of the arm ink without identifying each mark.
The Euro trophy joke
Before Euro 2024, Toney joked that he might tattoo the trophy on his forehead if England won. He then softened the idea to a small commemorative design. The Independent reported the exchange in June 2024. England did not win, and there’s no verified image of a trophy tattoo. It was a joke about a possible design, not evidence that he got one.
Why Toney’s collection feels like a timeline
The photographs show Toney’s tattoos at different points in his career, while his interviews explain only some of them. He has given the clearest account of the tiger-and-kitten design; the rest can be described without guessing at what he hasn’t shared.














































