Yaya Touré
Yaya Touré
- Full name: Yaya Gnegneri Touré
- Date of birth: May 13, 1983
- Place of birth: Bouaké, Ivory Coast
- Height: 1.91 m (6 ft 3 in)
- Position: Midfielder
- Current club: Beijing Enterprises Group Football Club
Professional career:
- 2001-2003: Beveren
- 2003-2005: Metalurh Donetsk
- 2005-2006: Olympiacos
- 2006-2007: Barcelona
- 2007-2010: Manchester City
- 2010-2018: Manchester City
- 2018-2019: Olympiakos
- 2019-present: Beijing Enterprises Group Football Club
International career:
- 2004-2015: Ivory Coast
Honours:
- Premier League: 2011-12, 2013-14, 2017-18
- FA Cup: 2011
- EFL Cup: 2014, 2016
- FA Community Shield: 2012
- UEFA Champions League: 2009
- FIFA Club World Cup: 2009
- African Nations Cup: 2015
- Ivory Coast Player of the Year: 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014
- CAF African Footballer of the Year: 2011, 2012, 2013
Yaya Touré (born 13 May 1983) is an Ivorian former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest African footballers of all time.
Touré began his career in his hometown of Bouaké, before moving to Belgium to play for Beveren. He then had spells at Metalurh Donetsk in Ukraine and Olympiacos in Greece, before joining Barcelona in 2007. He won the La Liga title and the Champions League in his first season at the club.
In 2010, Touré signed for Manchester City for a fee of £24 million. He quickly became a key player for the club, helping them to win the Premier League title in 2011-12 and 2013-14, as well as the FA Cup in 2011. He was also named the African Footballer of the Year in 2011, 2012 and 2013.
Touré left Manchester City in 2018 and returned to Olympiacos for a brief spell, before ending his career with Beijing Enterprises Group Football Club in China.
At international level, Touré represented Ivory Coast at the 2006, 2010 and 2014 FIFA World Cups, as well as the 2008 and 2012 African Nations Cups. He helped Ivory Coast to win the African Nations Cup in 2015.
Personal life:
Touré is a Muslim. He is married to Gineba Touré and they have two children together. He is also the brother of fellow footballer Kolo Touré.
Touré is known for his charitable work. He has donated money to build schools and hospitals in Ivory Coast. He has also worked with the United Nations to raise awareness of the plight of refugees.
Legacy:
Touré is considered to be one of the greatest African footballers of all time. He was a powerful and skilful midfielder who was known for his passing, dribbling and shooting ability. He was also a great leader and was able to inspire his teammates to perform at their best.
Touré has won numerous individual and team awards during his career. He has been named the African Footballer of the Year four times and has also won the Premier League title three times. He is also a member of the FIFA World XI and the UEFA Team of the Year.
