Former Liverpool defender Kolo Toure previously said Manchester City would have "kicked themselves" over their decision to let him join the Reds. Liverpool face City in the Premier League on Sunday, with Toure having left the Etihad for Anfield in 2013.
Toure's City exit
Toure, part of Arsenal's 'Invincibles' squad, moved from north London to Manchester for £14million in 2009 and helped City secure the 2011/12 Premier League title. However, in his last two years at City, he fell down the pecking order behind the likes of Joleon Lescott and Matija Nastasic. The Ivory Coast star was not offered a new contract and departed on a free to Liverpool.
After joining the Reds, Toure, now 45, insisted he was better than the players who had usurped him in Manchester. "I was better than certain players at Manchester City, but I was left on the bench," Toure told The Sun.
"Before I left the club, I told the people in charge that they would regret letting me go. People said I was finished and that I could never get back to my former level. But now I am at Liverpool - and I am sure that City must be kicking themselves when they see how I am performing."
Comparison with Yaya
Toure compared his situation to the issue his brother, Yaya, faced after his move from Barcelona to City in 2010. "I have had a similar experience to Yaya," Kolo said. "Managers come to clubs bringing players with them, and they want to pick them at all costs - whether they are any good or not. Yaya was much better than Sergio Busquets at Barcelona. But he was behind him in the pecking order, and he found that hard to accept."
In a 2015 interview with LFCTV, Toure reflected on his switch to Merseyside. He said: "I was at the end of my contract at City and I wanted to still play in the UK, because the way I finished at City for me wasn't right. I knew that I could keep doing something."
"I received a phone call from [Brendan Rodgers]. For me, when he spoke to me and he told me that he was considering me to come to the club, I was like 'wow'. To be able to play at Arsenal, City and now Liverpool was amazing and I thank God again."
"I could have maybe gone to Turkey or other places but when Brendan told me to come to Liverpool I was so happy, because I knew I could come here and do something and help this great football club. This was another chance to bounce back. What a perfect club to bounce back for me."
Later career and current context
The ex-defender spent three years at Liverpool before leaving in 2016. He later returned to City to work as an assistant coach to Pep Guardiola in 2025.
Liverpool and City meet this afternoon, with the fallout from Citizens' 114 charges for financial breaches still headline news. On the pitch, Enzo Maresca's men are currently the pace setters in the Premier League but will head to Anfield to face Andoni Iraola's side, who are unbeaten so far in all competitions.
