An interesting story broke in the late hours yesterday — apparently former Manchester City great Yaya Toure, now retired, is working with academy players and youth at Tottenham Hotspur this week as he works towards achieving his UEFA coaching badges. Not only that, but it Toure seemed open to the idea of a more permanent position at Tottenham should one arise!
Toure was spotted wearing Tottenham cold weather training gear by Spurs beat writer Jonathan Veal, who snapped a pic of the City legend alongside Spurs coach Chris Powell.
With this photo I learned that Chris Powell was wise to my stealth photography and that Yaya Toure is coaching with the Spurs academy this week while he is working towards his A-License #THFC pic.twitter.com/LFRxo4r2H7
— Jonathan Veal (@jonathandveal83) December 1, 2021
According to The Athletic, Toure is working on a limited basis — two days per week and only for a very limited amount of time — with Powell, Dean Rastrick and the rest of the Spurs academy staff. Toure has also collaborated with the Welsh FA as he works towards his A-level badges. While there doesn’t seem to be much chance of an job for Yaya at Spurs at the moment, I have no doubt that should his brief stint at Hotspur Way be a success there might be a phone call or two happening should a position open up in the future.
Say what you want about Yaya, but he’s a person that I always had a great amount of respect for during his playing days, even as he regularly destroyed Tottenham’s midfields. It’s also great to see more former players of color open to becoming coaches; hopefully that continues to lead to greater representation at the highest levels of the sport in the future. And I also think that Tottenham’s current crop of youngsters, including players like Harvey White, Dilan Markanday, and Jack Clarke, could easily learn a thing or two from one of the best midfielders of the 2010s.
Also, I think this means Spurs fans get to do the “Yaya Chant” in the stands now. Those are the rules.
Loading comments...