Kolo Toure: biography, career, achievements

Kolo Toure is a footballer who has become famous for appearances in the English Premier League. For a long time he was the main defender in clubs such as Arsenal and Liverpool. Today the brothers Kolo and Yaya Tour are the real leaders of the national team of Côte d'Ivoire.

Starting a professional career

Colo Touré was born on March 19, 1981 in the town of Bouaké, Cote d'Ivoire. The first football club of young talent was the local "Mimosas". Soon the guy declared himself as one of the most promising players in the region.

Success Kolo Toure on the football field did not go unnoticed by scouts of advanced European teams. Thus, in January 2002, the young player moved from the African championship straight to England, where he signed the first serious contract with the leadership of the football club Arsenal. Incidentally, the transaction amount was only 150,000 pounds.

At the time of the agreement, Kolo Toure was 21 years old. Despite his youth, the player already had the status of one of the leaders of the adult national team of Côte d'Ivoire. Since Toure was playing for the national team of the country, the leadership of "Arsenal" had absolutely no problems with obtaining for him permission for official employment in Britain.

Performances for Arsenal

The debut of Colo Touré in England took place already in the first match of the season 2002/2003. In the duel for the country's Super Cup, the young player entered the field in the starting lineup of the new team against Liverpool.

Play for Arsenal Colo Touré began on the position of the defensive midfielder. However, thanks to the "creative" rearrangements of the head coach Arsene Wenger, over time, the footballer began to increasingly take the place of the central defender.

In the 2002/2003 season, Colo Toure firmly "cemented" the defense of the London club, and his right to place in the first team was not questioned. In the same year, the player became the owner of the FA Cup. According to the results of the next season, Arsenal won the championship title without suffering a single defeat in the tournament, in large part due to the successful actions of Colo Touré on the defensive.

In 2006, the team of the Ivorian defender outscored all competitors in the Champions League play-off series, having the right to compete for the trophy in the final fight against Barcelona. However, this season the English club was not destined to win the trophy, which went to the Spaniards.

After losing in the final of the prestigious European tournament in the game, "Arsenal" for a long time there was a serious decline. For three seasons in a row, Londoners could not win a single trophy. The unfavorable atmosphere in the team and the lack of prospects for professional growth soon made Toure think about changing the team.

Going to Manchester City

On July 29, 2009, Colo Toure concluded an agreement with Manchester City, following many other world football stars to one of the richest clubs at the time. Quite soon the well-known defender earned the status of the captain of the team. In the 2011/2012 season, the football team from Manchester managed to win the championship title.

Transfer to Liverpool

In 2013, a middle-aged player, Colo Touré, decided to leave Manchester City. The reason for the departure was the reluctance of the leadership of "citizens" to renew the contract with the player.

As a free agent, Touré moved to Liverpool. The agreement was signed on July 1, 2013, and its validity is calculated for 2 seasons. In 2015, the club extended the contract with the veteran for another year.

Continuation of career

In the summer of 2016, Colo Toure once again received the status of a free agent. Being in search of a new club, an experienced defender decided to give preference to Celtic, whose mentor was Brendan Rodgers, who is well-known to a football player at work in Liverpool. To date, Kolo Toure continues to protect the colors of the Scottish club.