Yaya Touré
Player name in full: Gnégnéri Yaya Touré
To/from dates: 2010-2018
Number of appearances: 292
Goals scored: 81
Biography:
Born on 13 May 1983, in Bouake on the Ivory Coast, Toure joined the ASEC Mimosas youth academy in 1996 at the age of 13.
Aspiring to be a striker in his youth, Toure is widely regarded as one of the world’s best midfield players.
Initially signing for Beveren in 2001, Yaya had spells at Metalurh Donetsk, Olympiacos, Monaco, and Barcelona, where he played under current City manager Pep Guardiola.
In July 2010, Toure signed for City for a fee reported to be £24 million. He was given the squad number 42, the reverse of the 24 he had worn at Barcelona and he was teamed with his older brother Kolo Toure.
A series of successful goals in the 2010-2011 season including winning goals in the FA Cup semi-final (against Manchester United) and the final (against Stoke City) culminated in the end of a 35-year-wait for Manchester City for a major trophy.
The 2011-12 season saw Toure solidify his place in the squad, described as “dominant”, he was a key player in a team that secured Manchester City’s first league championship in 44 years.
Incoming manager Manuel Pellegrini noted that Toure was a player always striving to improve and he often stayed behind after training to improve his free-kick technique. Pellegrini promoted Toure to Vice-Captain, and in turn he often led the team during the 2013-14 season in the absence of Vincent Kompany.
In 2015, playing against Liverpool became a family affair as Yaya played against former teammate and brother, Kolo Toure.
With the arrival of Pep Guardiola at Manchester City, Toure was omitted from the Champions League squad of 2016-17, but still proved his skills domestically, marking his return to the pitch against Crystal Palace with a 2-1 win.
At the end of the 2017-18 season, Toure announced that he would be leaving the club, making his final appearance against Brighton & Hove Albion.
Notable facts/stories:
Yaya is the younger brother of Kolo Toure, teammate at both Manchester City and Beveren.
He has also been voted African Footballer of the Year for 2011, 2012, 2013 and 2014.
In 2011, Toure set a new Premier League record for most passes attempted (168) and completed (157) in a single match.
The chorus of the 1993 song No Limit by 2 Unlimited was adapted into a chant praising Toure.
Non-City career (briefly):
After leaving City, Yaya moved to Greek team Olympiakos. At the end of 2018, Toure left the club by mutual agreement, moving into coaching, a career he continues to develop today.
