Yaya Toure eyes Serie A move
Former Manchester City star Yaya Toure has revealed he has no plans to retire yet and is now eyeing up a switch to Italy at the age of 37.
The veteran midfielder is available on a free transfer after leaving Chinese outfit Qingdao Huanghai in January and is targeting another challenge following his impressive exploits in the Premier League and LaLiga.
Advertisement
It was recently reported that Toure, in his search of his Italian swansong, offered his services to Spezia in Serie A.
He told Tuttomercatoweb: 'My career won't go on forever, but I know that I have another one or two seasons left in me.
'I didn't realise how much I'd miss playing football. I miss the energy, the locker room, the team spirit and the feeling you get when you win games.
'I am studying to get my coaching badges, but I have a lifetime ahead of me to try that avenue. If I stop playing now, when I still feel in good shape, I'll always regret it.'
Toure has insisted that he is fully focused on defying his doubters and showing he is still capable of playing at the highest level of the sport. The ambitious Ivory Coast international is also leaving his options open.
'I'd like to play in Italy, as I've never played there before, but maybe also in France or England, where I have great memories,' he added.
'I'd be ready for any challenge Serie A puts in front of me. It's not about money. This is about football. I want to play because I know that I can still play.'
The three-time Premier League winner spent two weeks training with League Two side Leyton Orient in late July in a bid to retain his fitness levels.
Toure had been based in London during lockdown, and it is understood his agents contacted the club to see if he could make use of their training complex.
However, he was left red-faced recently after being forced to apologise for an 'inappropriate joke' which saw him dropped from this year's Soccer Aid charity match.
The superstar bragged in a WhatsApp group that he could get 19 women inside the group's five-star Cheshire hotel and allegedly posted a lewd video featuring a naked woman in the same chat. He apologised on social media.