Yaya Touré
Personal information | |||
---|---|---|---|
Full name | Gnégnéri Yaya Touré | ||
Date of birth | 13 May 1983 | ||
Place of birth | Bouaké, Côte d'Ivoire | ||
Height | 1.88 m (6 ft 2 in)[1] | ||
Position(s) | Midfielder | ||
Team information | |||
Current team | Manchester City | ||
Number | 42 | ||
Youth career | |||
1996–2001 | ASEC Abidjan | ||
Senior career* | |||
Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
2001–2003 | Beveren | 70 | (3) |
2003–2005 | Metalurh Donetsk | 33 | (3) |
2005–2006 | Olympiacos | 26 | (3) |
2006–2007 | Monaco | 27 | (5) |
2007–2010 | Barcelona | 74 | (4) |
2010– | Manchester City | 55 | (9) |
International career‡ | |||
2004– | Côte d'Ivoire | 67 | (10) |
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 20:45, 4 January 2012 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 20:32, 24 February 2012 (UTC) |
Gnégnéri Yaya Touré (born 13 May 1983),[1] commonly known as Yaya Touré, is an Ivorian footballer who plays as a midfielder for Premier League club Manchester City and the Côte d'Ivoire national team. He plays with the name Touré Yaya on his jersey.
He is renowned for combining speed and physical power with technique and has 67 caps for Côte d'Ivoire, representing the team in their first appearance in a FIFA World Cup, in the 2006 competition as well as in 2010. He is the younger brother of his Côte d'Ivoire and Manchester City teammate Kolo Touré. He also has a younger brother named Ibrahim who currently plays for Egyptian side Makasa.
Club career
Early career
Gnégnéri Touré Yaya joined ASEC Mimosas youth academy in 1996 on the recommendation of his long-time mentor Patrick van Reijendam. He then moved to Europe where he played for Belgian side Beveren for two-and-a-half years and later for one and a half years at Ukrainian side Metalurh Donetsk.
Olympiacos
Touré then moved to Olympiacos in 2005. He was nicknamed "the new Patrick Vieira" by his older brother. Before joining Olympiacos, Touré had a trial with Arsenal, starting in a match against Barnet,[2] but subsequently manager Arsène Wenger failed to sign him. Differing reports say this was because he could not secure a work permit[3] or because Wenger believed he was "completely average" this was said as a joke in one of Wenger's interviews.[4]
Monaco
After representing Côte d'Ivoire in the 2006 World Cup, Touré was signed by French Ligue 1 side AS Monaco in August 2006.[5] He played at the Stade Louis II for one season before leaving for FC Barcelona.
Barcelona
Touré joined Spanish side Barcelona for €9 million and made his official debut for the club on 26 August 2007 during the league opener against Racing de Santander.[6]
In the 2007 Joan Gamper Trophy match against Internazionale of Italy, Touré scored his first goal for Barcelona in a 5–0 victory. He scored his first official goal with Barcelona in a La Liga match against Athletic Club on 2 September 2007. His first goal in the Champions League for Barça was against Schalke in the 2007–08 quarter-finals. The goal proved to decide the tie and Barcelona advanced into a semi-final match-up against Manchester United, which they subsequently lost 1–0 over two legs.
During the early stages of the 2008–09 season, newly appointed manager Josep Guardiola favoured Sergio Busquets in the defensive role of Barcelona's midfield trio. In the 2009 Champions League Final, he played centre back due to injuries and suspensions of first-choice defenders, despite having only played there twice before for Barcelona. In late June 2010 Barcelona confirmed that Touré was allowed to leave the club in the summer.
Manchester City
On 2 July, Touré signed a five-year deal with Manchester City for a fee of around £24 million and was allocated squad number 42,[7] which is the reverse of the number 24 jersey he sported at Barcelona, since Patrick Vieira had already been allocated that number. The move teamed Touré up with his elder brother Kolo, who signed for City in July 2009. On 28 July, Touré made his debut for City in a pre-season friendly against Club América, which City won 4–1 on penalties after a 1–1 draw with the Mexican side.[8] In his home debut on 7 August, in another friendly match against Valencia, he was named man of the match.[9]
On 14 August 2010, Touré made his Premier League debut in a 0–0 draw against Tottenham Hotspur at White Hart Lane.[10] A week later, Touré impressed in the 3–0 defeat of Liverpool at Eastlands, forming a part of a three man midfield with Gareth Barry and Nigel de Jong.[11] On 19 September, Touré scored his first goal against Wigan Athletic.[12] The goal was scored in the 70th minute and Toure was assisted by Carlos Tévez who scored in that match too.[13] Recently, Touré has been seen to have taken up a more attacking position under Roberto Mancini and has revelled so far, setting up Tévez against Bolton Wanderers.[14] He scored a brilliant left-footed drive against West Ham United and soon scored a second, which was later credited as an own goal because the ball rebounded off the post into Robert Green's back and bounced in.[15] He scored his third goal against Wolverhampton Wanderers in a delightful counter-attack move, with Yaya making up 90 yards to latch onto the ball and fire if past the goalkeeper, with Manchester City eventually winning 4–3.[16] Touré's fifth goal for City came on 25 February in a Europa League game against Aris Thessaloniki, the goal was a deflected strike to make the score 3–0 to City.
On 16 April 2011, Touré scored the only goal of the game in a Man of the Match performance against Manchester United in the FA Cup semi final.[17] Touré continued his Wembley success by scoring the only goal in his side's 1–0 win over Stoke City in the 2011 FA Cup Final,[18] ending Manchester City's 35 year wait for a major trophy,[19] and writing himself into Manchester City folklore in the process.[20] The following season began strongly as Manchester City were leading the table for the majority of the season, with Toure playing a vital part in midfield. His efforts were rewarded as he was crowned African Footballer of the Year for 2011, an impressive achievement for a midfielder, since the previous 12 awards have gone to African forwards.[21]
On 3 January 2012, Tourè scored City's second goal of the game, a 33rd minute header from a David Silva corner. The match finished 3–0 to City.
On 5 January, it was announced that Tourè would be heading off to the Africa Cup of Nations and would miss City's FA Cup third round clash with fierce rivals Manchester United.
Commenting to Sky Sports News after being targeted by racist mobs throughout a UEFA Europa League tie at Porto in February 2012 (his first game back with City after the African Nations Cup), Touré spoke of his love for playing football in England: "That's why we like the Premier League, it never happens there".[22]
Club statistics
- As of 4 January 2012.
Club | Season | League | Cup | Europe | Total | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
Olympiacos | 2005–06 | 26 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 32 | 3 |
Total | 26 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 32 | 3 | |
Monaco | 2006–07 | 27 | 5 | 0 | 0 | - | - | 27 | 5 |
Total | 27 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 5 | |
Barcelona | 2007–08 | 26 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 1 | 40 | 2 |
2008–09 | 25 | 2 | 5 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 40 | 3 | |
2009–10 | 23 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 37 | 1 | |
Total | 74 | 4 | 13 | 1 | 30 | 1 | 117 | 6 | |
Manchester City | 2010–11 | 35 | 6 | 7 | 3 | 7 | 1 | 49 | 10 |
2011–12 | 20 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 3 | 26 | 6 | |
Total | 55 | 9 | 7 | 3 | 13 | 4 | 75 | 16 | |
Career total | 182 | 21 | 20 | 4 | 49 | 5 | 251 | 30 |
International goals
Honours
Club
- La Liga (2): 2008–09, 2009–10
- Copa del Rey: 2008–09
- Supercopa de España: 2009
- UEFA Champions League: 2008–09
- UEFA Super Cup: 2009
- FIFA Club World Cup: 2009
Individual
References
- ^ a b Touré Yaya FC Barcelona
- ^ Ivorian gamble failed to pay off for Beveren When Saturday Comes, 10 August 2010
- ^ Wenger: Passport stopped Yaya Toure signing for Arsenal Sport.co.uk, 22 October 2010
- ^ [1]
- ^ "Yaya Toure agrees Monaco move". BBC Sport. 15 August 2006.
- ^ Racing Santander 0–0 Barcelona ESPN Soccernet, 26 August 2007, retrieved 24 January 2008
- ^ Yaya Touré Manchester City FC
- ^ Club America 1 Man City 1 (City win 4–3 on pens): Joe can't take Hart as Shay Given is spot on Mail Online, 29 July 2010
- ^ New-look Manchester City see off Valencia FourFourTwo, 7 August 2010
- ^ "Tottenham Hotspur 0 – 0 Manchester City". ESPN Soccernet. 14 August 2010. Retrieved 17 August 2010.
- ^ Manchester City v Liverpool – as it happened The Guardian, 23 August 2010
- ^ Wigan 0 Manchester City 2: Carlos Tévez shows City how to beat Wigan Mail Online, 19 September 2010
- ^ Wigan 0 – 2 Man City BBC Sport, 19 September 2010
- ^ http://www.mcfc.co.uk/News/Match-reports/2010/December/City-v-Bolton
- ^ http://www.mcfc.co.uk/News/Match-reports/2010/December/West-Ham-v-City
- ^ http://www.mcfc.co.uk/News/Match-reports/2011/January/City-v-Wolves
- ^ "Man City 1 – 0 Man Utd". BBC Sport. 16 April 2011.
- ^ http://www.goal.com/en/match/59364/man-city-vs-stoke/report
- ^ White, Duncan (14 May 2011). "FA Cup final: Manchester City 1 Stoke City 0 match report". The Daily Telegraph. London.
- ^ Chadband, Ian (15 May 2011). "Manchester City midfielder Yaya Touré enters folklore with FA Cup final winner against Stoke City". The Daily Telegraph. London.
- ^ "Toure crowned African Player of the Year 2011". CAF Online. South Africa. 22 December 2011.
- ^ "Manchester City report 'racist' chants from Porto fans". BBC Sport. 17 February 2012.
External links
- Yaya Touré at Soccerbase
- Yaya Touré – French league stats at LFP – also available in French (archived)
- Yaya Touré profile Goal.com
- Yaya Touré profile FC Barcelona
- Yaya Touré at National-Football-Teams.com
- Use dmy dates from February 2012
- 1983 births
- Living people
- Ivorian footballers
- Ivorian expatriate footballers
- Côte d'Ivoire international footballers
- Association football midfielders
- ASEC Mimosas players
- AS Monaco FC players
- K.S.K. Beveren players
- FC Metalurh Donetsk players
- Olympiacos F.C. players
- FC Barcelona footballers
- Manchester City F.C. players
- 2006 FIFA World Cup players
- 2006 Africa Cup of Nations players
- 2008 Africa Cup of Nations players
- Ivorian expatriates in Belgium
- 2010 Africa Cup of Nations players
- 2010 FIFA World Cup players
- Belgian Pro League players
- Ligue 1 players
- La Liga footballers
- Ukrainian Premier League players
- Superleague Greece players
- Premier League players
- Ivorian emigrants to the United Kingdom
- Expatriate footballers in France
- Expatriate footballers in Monaco
- Expatriate footballers in Spain
- Expatriate footballers in Greece
- Expatriate footballers in Belgium
- Expatriate footballers in Ukraine
- 2012 Africa Cup of Nations players