Kolo Toure has revealed he was offered a coaching role at Liverpool by Jurgen Klopp shortly before he left the club in 2016.
Toure's Anfield career came to an end after Klopp's first season in charge. The Ivory Coast international made 71 appearances for the Reds after then-manager Brendan Rodgers signed him on a free transfer from Manchester City.
Toure was a fan favourite and played regularly under Klopp, including the Europa League final loss to Sevilla, after the German's arrival in October 2015.
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But, while he was told his contract was not going to be renewed, Klopp made it clear he wanted Toure, a member of Arsenal's 'Invincibles' team, to stay on.
“I spoke to Jurgen and he told me my contract wasn’t going to be renewed – but he did, however, want me as a coach in his backroom team,” Toure told the club’s official website.
“That was massive for me. I think I was in Africa when he made the call, ‘Kolo, we want to keep you but I want you in my coaching staff.’ I told him I needed to think about it.
“Liverpool was a great place for me. With the intensity of the game and my personality, it all fit really well. But ultimately, I wanted to play one more year and then just see what came after that.”
Toure moved to Celtic, where he would link up once more with Rodgers, first as a player and then as a technical assistant after retiring.
Toure then followed Rodgers to Leicester City, where he was a first-team coach, before he took over as Wigan Athletic manager in November. However, his spell in charge of the Latics lasted just two months.
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