The Ivorian midfielder has long been one of the Blues’ most influential players and he has been hailed in an opinion piece in the Manchester Evening News as a City great.
Rob Pollard writes: “Time and again, his brilliance proved to be the difference and the question marks raised by his £24million move were disappearing fast.
“His winner over United was pivotal - the moment the mind-set of those connected to the club altered and a winning mentality was born.
“A few weeks later, in the final, he did it again, producing an emphatic shot that flew past Thomas Sorensen in the Stoke City goal to win the FA Cup, with 35 years of pain washed away in an instant with one swing of the midfielder’s boot.
“City had well and truly arrived. No one was going to stop what Sheikh Mansour had started and Toure was proving to be pivotal ushering in a new era of success at a club starved of it for so long.
And the big moments kept on coming. The following season, Toure scored two goals in the last 20 minutes of the penultimate match of the season away at Newcastle to effectively win City their first league title in 44 years
...Media City...
“A mind-bending 30-yard strike in last season’s League Cup final against Sunderland was crucial in City completing their clean sweep of domestic trophies since the Sheikh’s arrival, and his slew of goals in the run in allowed Pellegrini’s side to leapfrog Liverpool and win their second title in three seasons.
“He scored 24 in all competitions in one of the most thrilling seasons in the club’s history as he collected the club’s Player of the Year award.”
Well worth reading the whole article.
On South Wales, it seems there is great anticipation ahead of the imminent return of former Swansea favourite Wilfried Bony.
The City striker returns to The Liberty Stadium on Sunday where he clearly remains a popular figure.
In a mix of articles between the South Wales Evening Post and Wales Online, they write: “Bony paid a visit to Swansea City’s team hotel this week to wish his old mates luck at Arsenal .
“And after Garry Monk’s men had done Manchester City a favour — they are scrapping for second place with the Gunners — by triumphing at the Emirates, he got in touch again to say thanks.
“The story will be different this weekend, of course, as the £28 million centre-forward makes his first return to the club he served so well for 18 months.
‘I saw Wilf before the Arsenal game,’ Ashley Williams reveals.’He was in London and he came over to say hello to the boys, then he texted me after the game. He said ‘Good win and well done for helping us out!’.
“’It will be interesting going up against him in the game this weekend.
‘He’s taken a little bit of time to settle but he’s a top player. I don’t know what the situation’s been with him up there but he’s got more than enough to prove again what qualities he has.
‘You can’t predict the future but knowing him and knowing how seriously he takes his career – I’ve not played with anyone who takes it as seriously as him – I think he’ll come good and work out how to show his qualities like he did with us.
‘When he was here you knew he was always going to make it at the top level, it was a matter of time before he took the next step. He was never itching to go, I never got the feeling he was itching to leave and he put in the work and showed his commitment.
‘The deal was right for everyone, we were happy for him and it might take a bit of time for him like everyone but he will figure it out and I’m sure he’ll be a big hit there.’”
Finally, Kelechi Iheanacho admits he’s hoping to be fast-tracked into the senior team next season. The M.E.N report: “Kelechi Iheanacho’s answers were thoughtful and considered. So his burning desire to make the Manchester City first team stuck out.
“It is no less a quality though, and the young Nigerian is not brash about his chances. He exhales hard when it is suggested there may be a connection between his appearances for the Under-21s and Manuel Pellegrini coming to watch the side, as if it may overwhelm him. ‘I don’t know,’ he professed.
‘Maybe the coach likes the way I play and the way I do things, maybe I have to put in more and work on the things they want me to do on the pitch.
‘I hope he sees good qualities in me and I hope I will be in the first team soon.’”
