Crystal Palace manager Patrick Vieira is confident that former Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure has all the qualities needed to become a successful boss in the future. After short stints at Olimpik Donetsk and Akhmat Grozny as assistant manager, Toure became the manager of Tottenham Hotspur’s youth team in August 2022. Speaking to William Hill at the 2023 FWA Tribute Award which honoured the Ivorian, Vieira spoke highly of his time playing alongside the midfielder at City.
Patrick Vieira said: “I played against him and with him. I remember him as a shy person off the field and a really strong character and personality on the field. I remember him when he came and spent a couple of days at Arsenal, and I remember him when he was at Manchester City. He was an exceptional midfield player, he could do everything – scoring goals, defending on the transition. He was a complete midfielder. He could score more goals than me. He had the engine to change gear, to get inside the box and he was such a powerful player, but at the same time tactically he was really good and at understanding the game really well. That’s why he was at Barcelona as well and did really well there. He transcended club rivalries because he was the type of player that fans loved to watch, the type of profile that fans would pay to watch. He could score goals from anywhere and he had this quality to make an impact on a game. He was a really important player for Manchester City.”
Vieira, who is also just making his first steps into football management at Palace, predicts that Toure would be able to translate his talent on the pitch into the technical area.
Patrick Vieira added: “I think he’s someone who can make the step into management easily. I really like the path he’s decided to take with Spurs. I follow him, I’ve spoken to him and I know he’s enjoying himself very much at Spurs. That was his first step and he’s going to grow. When you have so much to give to the game, it’s important for these players to get some experience, and this is what Yaya is doing at Tottenham. He doesn’t need my advice. He’s smart enough to get to where he wants to go. He’s someone that doesn’t make so much noise, but he’s there developing and growing as a manager to be. And he will get there because he’s an ambitious person that commands respect – the way that he played and how he conducted himself on and off the field.”
