Kolo Touré, hailing from the Ivory Coast, was born on 19 March 1981. He hung up his boots at the ripe old age of 44. Standing at 6 feet tall (1.83m) and weighing in at 11st 13lb (76kg), Touré was a force to be reckoned with as a central defender.
In February 2002, Touré made an oceanic move from his homeland club, ASEC Mimosas in the Ligue 1, to Arsenal in the Premier League in England. The transfer fee has been reported to be a nominal sum of around £150k. He put in plenty of appearances during his time at Arsenal, ranging from 26 appearances in his début season of 2002-2003 to a peak of 37 appearances in the 2003-2004 season.
After seven years pitching up at Arsenal, Touré found himself migrating again. In July 2009, he made his way to Manchester City, still in the Premier League for a considerably heftier sum of around £16m. His seasons with the sky blues saw his game time varying from as high as 31 appearances in the 2009-2010 season to a low of 14 appearances in the 2011-2012 season.
Yet another change of scenery came in July 2013, Touré was transferred to Liverpool. His stint with the red side of Merseyside was marked with a sporadic number of appearances, with the highest being 20 appearances in the 2013-2014 season.
Then came the time for his chapter with Celtic. It was July 2016 when he traded the Premier League's frenzy for the serenity of the Scottish Premiership. A season with the greens saw him make 9 league appearances. It was a short stint, but Touré left his mark in our beloved club. Though his Celtic glory days may be somewhat limited in number, he played his heart out when he had the chance. His dedication and strength held Celtic's defense line firm, and his passion for football echoed in every corner of the Celtic Park.
By June 2017, Touré’s Celtic chapter was penned to closure and he moved on to newer pastures. As Celtic's supporters, we cherish his time with the club and hold his contributions in high regard.
