MANCHESTER CITY legend Yaya Toure is set to take his first steps into management by joining the coaching staff of Ukrainian side Olympic Donetsk.
The midfielder has not been seen on the pitch since leaving Chinese side Qingdao Huanghai in January 2020.
Man City legend Yaya Toure, 37, is beginning his coaching careerCredit: PA:Press Association
He looks to have finally pulled the plug on a glittering playing career and will take his first coaching job after securing his pro license.
Profutbol Digital reports the 37-year-old Ivorian will return to Ukraine having played in the country early in his career.
Toure spent one-and-a-half years at Metalruh Donetsk between 2003 and 2005 but the club hit the wall in 2015.
The former Barcelona star was widely reported to have retired in 2019 after comments from his agent suggested he was ready to move into coaching.
He then publicly announced he had a few more years left – but now appears to have hung up his boots for good.
Toure’s rep Dimitry Seluk seemingly confirmed the news and was quoted as saying: “He will become a member of Olympic Donetsk’s coaching staff.
“Yaya Toure used to play for FC Metallurg. This club does not exist anymore, but there is FC Olympic.
“Therefore, it is symbolic that he will start his coaching career with this club. Toure is not applying for the position of head coach.
“Yaya is just studying. He has a license, but he still needs to study in order to improve his skills, and he will go to Kiev in order to study.”
FANCY A PUNT? TODAY’S BEST ODDS BOOSTS FROM THE UK’S LEADING BOOKIES
Toure shocked fans by training with League Two side Leyton Orient last summer but never signed terms with the Os.
He won six league titles during his career – which included eight seasons at the Etihad – as well as the Champions League with Barca in 2009.
He also bagged the Africa Cup of Nations in 2015 with his Ivory Coast team-mates.
But Toure was hit by scandal last year when SunSport revealed he was booted off Soccer Aid for offering to hire sex workers for his colleagues.
Yaya Toure sent off just 10 seconds into Man City legend’s potential last match
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
