Former Manchester City and Barcelona midfielder Yaya Toure denied reports that he had retired from professional football.
Toure posted on his official Twitter account shortly after Manchester City beat Brighton 4-1 at the Amex Stadium to retain the English Premier League title. Toure was on the pitch for Sky Sports but was mobbed by City players in the celebrations.
“I want to make it clear here that I love football and I’m still in contention to play for a few more years,” Toure’s post read.
Toure revealed that he is beginning to prepare himself for coaching badges but said that full-time coaching is not what he is thinking of at the moment.
Toure’s agent Dimitri Seluk previously told Russian website Sport 24 that he had “decided to end his career as a champion”.
In apparent reference to this, Toure wrote in another Twitter post: “I am now ready and focused to take new challenges in playing football! And don’t worry once the time has come, I will announce my retirement personally and officially by myself!!”
Toure is a four-time African Footballer of the Year who won the Champions League with Spanish side Barcelona in 2009. He then went on to spend eight successful years with Manchester City, scoring 79 times in 316 games.
He also played 101 times for the Ivory Coast and won the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations.
Toure has not played since his contract at Greek side Olympiakos was terminated in December 2018.
