Yaya Toure announces his retirement from football at 35

Former Manchester City and Barcelona midfielder, Yaya Toure has officially retired from football at 35.

His controversial agent Dimitri Seluk announced the news this morning and revealed the Ivorian superstar will now concentrate on a new career as a coach.

“I say this for the first time: Yaya decided to end his career as a champion,” Touré’s agent Dimitry Seluk told Russian outlet Sport 24 on Friday.

“The farewell match given to him by Manchester City, in principle, was the real end of his playing career. Not only in this team, but in general.

“Yaya is one of the best players in Africa and he had one of the brightest careers in the history of African football.

“We talked for a long time about this topic. Of course, every football player wants to play as long as possible. In terms of his physical condition, Yaya could do this at a sufficiently high level for another five years.

“But we came to the conclusion that he, the football player who played for Barcelona and Manchester City, could not lower the bar with his hands.

“We see many players who continue their careers at a sufficiently mature age, and this is commendable.

“But Yaya and I chose a different path: to leave as a champion and start a new stage in life – a career as a coach, in which, I am sure, Yaya will reach even greater heights than those he achieved as a football player.

“There are no African coaches in the English Premier League. I think.”

Touré who left Manchester City at the end of the 2017/18 season and became a free agent, joined Olympiacos in September 2018 for the second time in his career.

However, the former midfielder lasted just over three months at the Greek Superleague club before leaving by mutual agreement in December

Yaya Toure who started senior football career with Beveren in 2001, also played for Metalurh Donetsk, Olympiacos,  Monaco, Barcelona  and Manchester City.