Beginning his career as adefender withASEC Mimosas, Touré moved to English teamArsenal in 2002, where he made 326 appearances for the club and was a member of the03–04 'invincibles' side. In 2009, he moved to Manchester City, where he was joined a year later by his younger brother,Yaya, helping City earn their firstleague title in 44 years. In 2013, Touré signed forLiverpool. He is one of the ten players who have won the Premier League with two clubs, having won it with Arsenal and City. He also won theScottish Premiership andScottish League Cup withCeltic. He remains to date the African player with the most Premier League appearances (353 in total).
Kolo Touré joinedPremier League teamArsenal fromASEC Mimosas on a long-term contract for a fee of £150,000 on 14 February 2002 after a short trial. His status as a full international meant that he was able to secure aBritish work permit.[3][4]
At the start of the2003–04 season, Wenger began using Touré as a central defender alongsideSol Campbell. Touré inherited his position from veteranMartin Keown, whom he praised as a mentor; Arsenal won the league without losing a game that season.[8]
Touré was in and out of the Arsenal team during the2004–05 season, battling for a first team place with the likes ofPhilippe Senderos andPascal Cygan to play alongside Campbell in defence. Touré ended the season with a FA Cup winners medal playing 50 times for Arsenal that season and scoring one goal. His only goal of the 2004–05 season came in the 90th minute of Arsenal'sUEFA Champions League last 16 round tie againstBayern Munich of Germany. Arsenal lost the game 3–1.
Touré established himself as a permanent fixture in the Arsenal starting XI. In the2005–06 season, he established a formidable defensive partnership with Senderos. Both centre-backs helped the Arsenal team reach the2006 UEFA Champions League Final after keeping 10 consecutive clean sheets (a European competition record).
Touré scored his second European goal on 19 April 2006, the winner in the first leg of the Champions League semi-final againstVillarreal CF. It was the final European goal scored atHighbury and the goal that effectively decided the tie (Arsenal won 1–0 on aggregate), to send Arsenal through to their first ever Champions League Final, in Paris, France, which they would end up losing late on.
In October 2006, Touré signed a new contract of undisclosed "long-term" length.[9] The following 9 January, hecaptained the club for the first time in the absence ofGilberto Silva andThierry Henry, in a 6–3 victory away toLiverpool in the quarter-finals of theLeague Cup.[10] He led Arsenal out for thefinal against Chelsea on 25 February, which his team lost 2–1. His challenge onMikel John Obi caused a mass brawl which led to both players and Arsenal'sEmmanuel Adebayor being sent off, as well as a £100,000 fine for bothLondon rival clubs.[11]
On 13 April 2009, Touré demanded a move away from Arsenal after a reputed bust-up with defensive partnerWilliam Gallas. He reportedly handed in a transfer request which was later turned down by Arsenal chairmanPeter Hill-Wood.[12] However, Touré temporarily reversed his decision and committed to the Gunners at least until the summer.[13]
Touré celebrating Manchester City's Premier League triumph in 2012
After much transfer speculation, it was announced on 28 July 2009 thatManchester City had agreed a fee of £14 million for Touré. After he successfully passed a medical in Manchester on 29 July 2009, Touré signed a four-year contract with the club which had the option of extending it to five years.[14] City, who had finished 10th the previous season, had made a number of high-profile signings in preparation for the2009–10 season, and Touré expressed that hoped to help make City a top four team.[15] He was appointed the club captain byMark Hughes. He scored his first goal for Manchester City in a 2–1 League Cup win over Fulham on 23 September 2009.[16] He scored his first league goal for City against Burnley on 7 November 2009.[17] Manchester City finished the season in fifth position, losing out toTottenham Hotspur by just three points. On 2 July 2010, Kolo Touré was joined by his brotherYaya at Manchester City following a transfer believed to be worth around £24 million.[18]
At the beginning of the2010–11 season,Roberto Mancini took away the captain's armband from Touré and gave it toCarlos Tevez. However, he remained part of Mancini's plans and was a first team regular in defence. He was sent off in Manchester City's 2–1 defeat toEverton on 20 December 2010, helping to deny City the chance to top the Premier League table on Christmas.[19] On 15 January 2011, Touré scored the first goal in a 4–3 win for the Citizens againstWolves which sent them to the top of the league table.[20]
On 3 March 2011, it was revealed that Touré had failed a drug test and had been suspended. TheWorld Anti-Doping Agency imposed a 6-month suspension from football effective 2 March 2011.[21][22][23]
In the2011–12 season, Touré, unlike his brother, who was starting every match possible, was used as a squad player, making 14 league appearances as Manchester City won aleague title for the first time in 44 years.
On 28 May 2013,Liverpool announced that an agreement had been reached in principle to sign Touré on a free transfer from Manchester City. On 2 July he was unveiled as Liverpool's first signing of the window and was handed the number 4 shirt.[24] He signed a two-year contract. He made his Premier League debut for Liverpool on 17 August 2013 in a 1–0 victory overStoke City at Anfield.[25] On 2 February 2014, in a match againstWest Bromwich Albion he passed straight to opponentVictor Anichebe, who scored an equaliser.[26] Twelve days later, he scored an own-goal in a match againstFulham, which eventually Liverpool won thanks to a late penalty from skipperSteven Gerrard.[27] Liverpool were in contention to win the league title in2013–14, which eventually went to Manchester City; had he won, Touré would have been the first player in English football since World War II to win the league with three clubs.[28]
On 1 March 2015, he came on as an 83rd-minute substitute against Manchester City, marking the first time he and his brother Yaya, who started the match for City, faced each other in a competitive match. Liverpool won the match 2–1.[29][30]
Touré scored his first Liverpool goal on 14 February 2016, heading inJordan Henderson's corner kick to confirm a 6–0 win away to bottom sideAston Villa. It was his first goal in any match since January 2011, and he celebrated wildly.[31] At the end of the 2015–16 season, Touré was released.[32]
On 24 July 2016, Touré reunited with former managerBrendan Rodgers when he joinedCeltic on a one-year contract.[33] He made his debut on 3 August 2016, coming on as a substitute in the second half of Celtic's 2–1 win overFC Astana in aChampions League qualifier.[34] He made 20 appearances as Celtic completed an unbeaten domestic season, winning atreble ofLeague,Cup andLeague Cup.[35] Touré was not offered a new playing contract at the end of the season.[35]
In September 2017, Touré announced his retirement and took up a coaching role with Celtic.[36]
Touré made his debut forIvory Coast in April 2000 againstRwanda.[37] He played in all five games for the Ivory Coast as they finished runners up to the hosts in theAfrican Cup of Nations inEgypt in January 2006.
In December 2014, Touré announced his intention to retire from international football after the2015 Africa Cup of Nations.[37] He played his final game in thefinal of the tournament on 8 February 2015, where Ivory Coast beatGhana 9–8 on penalties after the game ended 0–0. He took the seventh penalty for Ivory Coast, which he scored.[39] On 15 February 2015, he confirmed his retirement from international duty.[40]
On 29 November 2022,Wigan Athletic appointed Touré as first team manager on a three-and-a-half-year deal.[44] On 2 January 2023, Touré's team lost their third consecutive game by the scoreline of 4–1, and dropped to last place in the Championship as a result.[45] Toure was sacked by Wigan on 26 January 2023, with the club bottom of theChampionship and failing to win any of his nine games in charge.[46]
Touré was born inBouaké, Ivory Coast.[48] He is the older brother ofIbrahim Touré andYaya Touré. Ibrahim died of cancer in 2014, aged 28. They also have a sister, Belinda.[49]
Touré is aMuslim and observes fasting during the Islamic month ofRamadan, stating that "It doesn't affect me physically. It makes me stronger. You can do it when you believe so strongly in something. A normal human can be without water for much longer than one day."[50]
Touré is married to Awo. As of 2011, they had a son and a daughter.[51] His son, Yassine, is also pursuing a football career, having signed a two-year scholarship withLeicester City in December 2021.[52]
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