Kolo Toure joins Ivory Coast staff as assistant manager

By Daniel Lewis, Senior Reporter | 05 October 2017

Kolo Toure will double up his role as Celtic's technical coach by linking up with Marc Wilmots as assistant manager of Ivory Coast.

Ivory Coast have appointed former Liverpool and Arsenal centre-back Kolo Toure as their new assistant manager.

The recently-retired defender was appointed to Celtic's backroom staff earlier this month after seeing out his playing days at Parkhead.

Toure will double up his role as the Bhoys' technical coach by helping out his national side, where he will work alongside manager Marc Wilmots.

"Any club I've been all the managers have spoken to me about the next step and wanted me to be involved in the coaching," he said of his appointment. "I love to speak to players and when I play I like to give advice: that is what I learned from players like Martin Keown, Sol Campbell, Patrick Vieira, Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp.

"I can still ask their advice and speak to them because I've always had a good relationship with them and learned from all of them. I've also worked with top managers and I am so privileged to have worked with those guys and I still have contact with them."

Wilmots was named as boss of Ivory Coast earlier this year after leaving Belgium last summer on the back of their Euro 2016 disappointment.