Where is Kolo Toure now?

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Kolo Toure is one of the best African defenders of all time
He is the brother to Yaya Toure and the late Ibrahim Toure
Kolo played in the Premier League for Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City

Kolo Toure is a former professional footballer who played for top European teams during his career. The Ivorian star played in the English Premier League for Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool.

Kolo was one of the best defenders during his prime days. The former Arsenal man began his career as a defensive midfielder and also played as a right-back. He began playing as a central defender during the 2003-04 season at Arsenal when he formed an effective partnership with Sol Campbell.

He also had a reputation for being an attacking defender. Kolo was part of Arsenal’s squad that won the English Premier League title unbeaten during the 2003-04 season. The African star was one of Arsenal’s best players when the Gunners reached the UEFA Champions League finals in 2006.

Kolo played for top Premier League clubs Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester City. Photo/ Goal.com

Kolo is the African player with the most English Premier League appearances in history. The African star made 353 appearances for Arsenal, Manchester City and Liverpool. He is the second player with the most appearances for Ivory Coast (120 appearances) between 2000 and 2015. He won the AFCON tournament with Ivory Coast in 2015 and was runner-up in 2006 and 2012.

Kolo is the older brother of Yaya Toure and the late Ibrahim Toure. Yaya and Kolo played together at Manchester City, helping the club win its first English Premier League title in 44 years during the 2011-12 season. Kolo Toure’s son, Yassine, is at Leicester City’s academy.

Kolo Toure’s Career

Arsenal

The African footballer began his professional career at ASEC Mimosas in 1999 after being promoted from the club’s academy. Kolo left the Ivorian club in February 2002 when he joined English Premier League giants Arsenal. He didn’t appear for the Gunners until the end of the 2002-03 season.

Initially a defensive midfielder, Kolo began playing as a centre-back at Arsenal during the 2003-04 season. The Ivorian international became a permanent fixture in Arsenal’s squad in 2005. His solid performance helped Arsenal reach the UEFA Champions League final for the first time in 2006. However, they finished as runners-up after losing to FC Barcelona.

Kolo was a key player at Arsenal until he had a bust-up with teammate William Gallas. The reputed bust-up led to Kolo Toure requesting to leave Arsenal in April 2009. Toure left Arsenal in the summer of 2009 and joined Manchester City.

Manchester City

He left Arsenal as a successful player, having won major domestic league titles, including the English Premier League and the FA Cup.

Kolo was appointed Manchester City’s captain in his first season with the club. He is among the players who helped City win the English Premier League in 2012 for the first time in 44 years. He also won the FA Community Shield with Manchester City in 2012.

Liverpool

Liverpool signed the African star during the summer of 2013 on a two-year contract. Kolo scored his first goal for Liverpool in February 2016. He celebrated widely because it was his first goal in all competitions since January 2011. The legendary defender parted ways with Liverpool at the end of the 2015-16 season.

Celtic

Kolo Toure moved to the Scottish League, where he joined Celtic on a one-year deal. He helped Celtic win the Scottish Premiership and the Scottish Super League during the 2016-17 season. Toure retired from professional football after his one-year deal with Celtic expired.

International Career

Kolo represented Ivory Coast at the international level. He made his first appearance for the African giants in April 2002 against Rwanda.

Toure was part of Ivory Coast’s team that reached the finals of the 2006 AFCON in Egypt. He also played a big role as Ivory Coast reached the finals of the 2012 AFCON in Equatorial Guinea. Ivory Coast lost the finals in both tournaments.

Kolo Toure won the AFCON tournament for the first time with Ivory Coast in 2015. He announced his retirement from professional football at the end of the tournament. Kolo Toure won 120 caps for the Ivory Coast national team until 2015.