Kolo Toure is on the verge of being appointed Wigan Athletic manager in an unexpected twist - a matter of days after his brother, Yaya, turned down the role.
Former Arsenal and Liverpool defender Toure retired from playing in September 2017 and joined Brendan Rodgers' coaching staff at Celtic. He followed his former manager to Leicester in 2019 and he continues to juggle his responsibilities as a first-team coach at the King Power Stadium with a role in the Ivory Coast set-up.
However, Toure is close to taking up his first senior management position, which has been an ambition of his for some years. Wigan chairman Talal Al Hammad has jetted into London to finalise a deal for the 41-year-old after sacking Leam Richardson, who was dismissed last week following a run of eight games without a win.
That is according to The Sun, which claims Toure's younger brother, 39-year-old Yaya, rejected the chance to fill the DW Stadium hot seat. The former Barcelona and Manchester City midfielder has decided he would rather stay at Tottenham, where he is head coach of the under-16s.
Kolo, meanwhile, has received glowing endorsements from Rodgers since becoming a member of his staff. "Of course, every manager has a team of people who you work with," he said in 2019.
"Kolo is someone that I have transitioned into coaching. I brought him onto my staff at Celtic last summer and he's been absolutely brilliant. He's got a great rapport with the players - everywhere he goes they have the Kolo dance - it follows him everywhere. And I enjoy working with new people as well. It's a really strong team of people that we have."
What are your best memories of Kolo Toure's playing days? Have your say in the comments!
The affection between the pair is mutual, with Toure declaring he "loves" Rodgers during an interview with FourFourTwo last year. The former centre-back added: "Brendan is a man who changed my life as well. Managers take you on because they trust you, and that's all that matters for me.
"I'll never forget what he has done and is doing for me every day, as he's like my big brother. I'm now learning the other side of the game with him and his assistant, Chris Davies. It was always my intention to get into coaching, as I wanted to stay in football.
"What you learn in matches you can always pass on to the younger generation, and I felt my experience was the best thing I could give them."
Given Rodgers' haul of eight major trophies, including the FA Cup in 2021, Wigan fans will be hoping Toure has absorbed everything the Northern Irishman has taught him, if the Latics appoint him.
