From Arsenal’s Invincibles to Manchester City’s emerging superstars, Kolo Toure played with some of the greatest footballers of his generation.
The Ivory Coast international spent 14 seasons playing for Premier League contenders, from his time with the Gunners to the Citizens, up to his three-year stint at Liverpool which took in the beginning of the Jurgen Klopp era.
Selecting his Perfect XI for FourFourTwo, therefore, is no easy feat – but it’s a task Kolo set about with relish.
Kolo Toure’s Perfect XI
GK: JENS LEHMANN
“Jens was a great shot-stopper who could catch the ball from corners and crosses – but he was also good with his feet. He had a strong personality… but oh my god, he was so crazy! You need that though, I think, as a goalkeeper. A lovely man, but very crazy. You didn’t want to get in his bad books, trust me.”
RB: LAUREN
“To be honest, I was torn between Lauren and Emmanuel Eboue. I played with Eboue for the Ivory Coast and at Arsenal and he was underrated both going forward and defending – but I’ve gone with Lauren. He was just immense, and he would kill me if he didn’t get in my team!”
CB: SOL CAMPBELL
“I’ve chosen two centre-backs, so of course, I went with Sol Campbell. He was powerful, strong in the air, an aggressive player – and he was lovely, too. I felt like I could always trust him and play my best football with him alongside me. I had a good relationship with him at Arsenal.”
CB: VINCENT KOMPANY
“I’ve gone for Vincent. We played a few games together at Manchester City and technically he was really good, as well as being as strong. He was very young when I played with him – but he was really mature and a leader for his age and of course he went on to have a tremendous career.”
LB: ASHLEY COLE
“I’ve got to go for Ashley Cole at left-back. Such a good player. Going forwards or backwards, it was easy for him; no problem. He had such energy and he was a really generous player. [FFT: you sometimes played right-back on the opposite side to Cole…] Yes, we’d both get forward a lot. But he was more natural in that role.”
DM: STEVEN GERRARD
“I’ve gone with a diamond – so I’ve gone with Stevie G from my time at Liverpool to ping the ball right and left. He’d moved into a deeper role by that stage in his career and his vision and passing range were perfect in there. A brilliant footballer and captain.”
CM: YAYA TOURE
“On the right of the midfield, Yaya Toure. [Laughs] If I don’t pick Yaya, he’ll ask why! He was a top player, technically and tactically. He could run with the ball and he could score goals as well. Oh, and he’s my brother! Yaya was always the better player of the two of us growing up, too, which I was happy with, I don’t mind my brother being better than me.”
CM: PATRICK VIEIRA
“I’ve chosen Patrick over David Silva – it was very hard. But Patrick had everything for a midfield player: he was so tall and powerful. Technically, he was really good, he could run, get from box to box and he scored goals, too. For me, he was a perfect midfielder.”
AM: DENNIS BERGKAMP
“I’ve got to have Dennis Bergkamp at the top of the diamond in this team, to find players and chip in with some goals. He was an unbelievable player and you couldn’t find anyone better past or present to do this role in this team, with these team-mates around him.”
ST: THIERRY HENRY
“What is there to even say about Thierry that hasn’t been said? His speed, his power, his desire to win… he was so professional, I have to choose Thierry Henry. He was a phenomenon.”
ST: DIDIER DROGBA
“For the last one, I didn’t know who to pick. It’s between Luis Suarez, Didier Drogba and Sergio Aguero… I’ve got to go for Drogba – but I have subs as well, right? [laughs] He doesn’t like the ball too much, but I’ve got to pick him because he was so physical, so determined and a guy you could always rely on in the biggest moments. A legend of African football and a great guy, too.”
SUBS: Gael Clichy, Sergio Aguero, Luis Suarez
THE GAFFER: ARSENE WENGER
“It absolutely has to be Wenger. He was immense, he was the guy who gave me my opportunity to come to the Premier League. No one believed in me until him and David Dein (Arsenal’s vice-chairman until 2009) and they both gave me the opportunity to play for one of the best clubs in the world. It’s not easy to pick a boy from Africa, take him straight to England and put him in the Arsenal team after not even a year. I owe him everything.”
