Kolo Toure

Doesn't Kennedy have that job for life?

 

Brendan Rodgers to offer Kolo Toure a player-coach role at Celtic

KOLO TOURE is to be offered a player-coach role at Celtic by Brendan Rodgers.

The Ivory Coast international has been hailed by the club’s manager as the unsung hero of the season.

Although the former Liverpool and Arsenal stopper has hardly featured in recent months, he is credited with invaluable mentoring work behind the scenes.

And while Toure, who turns 36 in March, may be winding down his playing career, Rodgers is still keen to extend his Celtic contract beyond the summer with the added incentive of a role on his backroom staff.

The Northern Irishman said: “It’s something we’ll talk about at some stage between now and the end of the season, absolutely. There’s no doubt about that.

“I brought him here for a number of reasons and one of them, of course, was playing, to help us get through to the Champions League. That mentality, and the experience of what it takes to get there, was going to be important.

“There are also other reasons, like influence in the changing room. That doesn’t have to end after this season.

“He’s a good guy and I like to help good people. I want to work with him and it’s something he and I will talk about between now and the end of the season.”

Rodgers believes Toure’s presence has taken the burden of responsibility off Scott Brown’s shoulders, and led to the captain playing some of the best football of his career.

The influence on the form of centre-half pairing Jozo Simunovic and Erik Sviatchenko is in part down to Toure’s training ground influence.

And as a sounding board for Moussa Dembele, the manager reckons there’s no one better. Rodgers said: “When he was at Liverpool I put him on his journey of coaching. We started him on his badges and he has just completed his B licence. He sees himself going down that route.

“He has been invaluable. Scott Brown will probably tell you the help he’s been. Before, there were maybe not so many other leaders around him.

“But Kolo came in and straight away he’s a man with big experiences who is a good communicator.

“He’s good with the young players, he has empathy for them and wants to help them. He always helps the manager.

“Even though he hasn’t played so much, his influence in the changing room is huge because of what he passes on to Dembele and these guys just starting out on their careers, especially the foreign boys.

“The Dembeles of this world look at a guy at 35 who has been a big player and won big titles, played at World Cups. He’s a real major influence for them.

“His role hasn’t diminished even if he’s not playing as much. He’s still very important to us.”

Rodgers sees the fact that Toure moved his wife and children to Scotland and took a house as a sign that the player is settled and putting down roots.

He added: “You don’t make that commitment if you don’t think it’s going to be for longer than what his contract was.”

 

Brilliant. I'd be over the moon if the big man stays in any capacity. Player/coach would be ideal.

 

Invaluable to have him staying on..

Very good move for all parties..

 

Absolutely fantastic decision by Brendan. Kolo is priceless to us with his experience and if he is able to have a positive impact on young players at our club especially defends get him tied down!

 

Happy to read that.

You could see his potential as coach from the way he was guiding those around him, earlier in the season. Given the fact the manger's talking about it so openly, you would hope that it means there's actually a good chance of this happening

 

That would be wonderful. I love Kolo and with he would stick around. I have a huge respect for him. Complete professional

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Would love to see him here in some capacity past this season. I still think he has something left in the tank to be on the pitch, even after the BMG game.

 

Hope we get a deal sorted for him, seems like a top guy

 

Cant beat experience and seems like Kolo is loving it here,great that he can pass on tips and experiences to younger players

 

In Kolo out Kennedy! Here comes a constructive dismissal case! LOL!

 

Would be delighted to see the big man stick about for as long as Brendan does. He's made it clear to Kolo he wants to work with him in a coaching capacity and it would do wonders for our defenders as we've already seen.

 

His leadership is impeccable and Rodgers knew this from his time at Liverpool. Kolo is the definition of a team player and professional. Celtic would be lucky to have this man stay and settle with our club! We love you toure! Hope you stay!

 

Delighted at this news, a leader in the dressing room is invaluable.

 

good shout by brendan.

big kolo the provo

 

Makes sense, he seems very influential to the defenders round about him whenever I've seen him play and they could learn a lot from him with the experience he's picked up in his playing career. This was probably on the cards from the very beginning and was one of the reasons he signed with us in the first place.

A win win situation for all parties i think, I'm all for it.