Yaya Touré takes full-time coaching role at Tottenham’s academy

The former Manchester City midfielder Yaya Touré has been given a full-time role in Tottenham’s academy. The three-times Premier League winner has spent time with the club since December in an unofficial capacity while he worked towards his Uefa A Licence. Touré completed his coaching course with the Football Association of Wales this summer and will have his own age group to coach.

The 39-year-old has not played professionally since a stint with the Chinese club Qingdao Huanghai in 2019 but did train with the League Two club Leyton Orient briefly before the 2020-21 campaign.

Touré had a brief spell with Queens Park Rangers working alongside Chris Ramsey at the beginning of 2021. He also held coaching roles with the Ukrainian Premier League side Olimpik Donetsk and Akhmat Grozny, of the Russian Premier League before he returned to England at the end of last year.

The former Ivory Coast international, whose brother Kolo is Leicester’s first-team coach, started helping out at Tottenham’s academy with the under-18s. He could be joined at Spurs by Jermain Defoe, who is set to continue his coaching development at his former club.