Yaya Toure is the new assistant coach of Man City

Manchester City have confirmed that Kolo Toure will stay on as a permanent member of Pep Guardiola’s first-team coaching staff after impressing during the Club’s FIFA Club World Cup campaign this summer.

The former Cote d'Ivoire international, who won Premier League titles as a player with both Arsenal and City, steps up to the senior role full-time after a successful stint as Assistant Lead Coach with City’s Under-18s last season.

Toure, 44, played a key role alongside Oliver Reiss in guiding the Under-18s to the Premier League Under-18 North crown, before narrowly missing out in the national final and FA Youth Cup final, both against Aston Villa.

His appointment marks another chapter in what has already been an impressive coaching journey.

Toure has gathered experience with the Cote d'Ivoire national team, worked under Brendan Rodgers at Celtic and Leicester City, and even took charge at Wigan Athletic before returning to the Manchester City fold.

City’s Director of Football, Hugo Viana, hailed the decision to add Toure to Guardiola’s backroom team on a permanent basis.

“We’ve also been hugely impressed with his work and success with our Under-18s, and by adding him into our senior staff permanently, this will only strengthen the transition for players in our Academy into the first team. As we already saw throughout his time with Pep Guardiola, Pep Lijnders and James French this summer, his massive personality of optimism and positivity is hugely infectious and we’re already looking forward to his work moving forward,” he said.

Toure’s leadership and warmth were on full display during Manchester City’s Club World Cup campaign this summer, and the club is confident he will continue to be a vital figure as Guardiola’s side look to build on their recent successes.

FKA/AE