Yaya Toure has said he would be delighted to one day return to Tottenham after ending his spell coaching in the academy.
A step up from the Spurs’ Under-16 side this summer will see the former Manchester City midfielder serve as assistant manager at Belgian club Standard Liege in the upcoming campaign.
“Tottenham did not stand in my way and they let me go and I think that was brilliant," he told PA news agency.
“I would love to carry on in Tottenham because my belief and development was to try to work with the grown men.
“If the opportunity to go back was there, then why not? Because what Tottenham did for me was incredible, they allowed me to work there and develop as a coach and for what they did for me I will never be able to thank them enough.
“They opened the door for me and allowed me to express myself in the right manner and do the things I wanted to do. That is a real positive for me. Of course at the end of the day I move on but Tottenham is always going to be a great club and one that will always mean something to me.”
For 40-year-old Toure’s career in the dugout, the sky is the limit but he is intent on learning his trade as he begins his stint working under Liege boss Carl Hoefkens.
“I have to go step after step, I am on a learning journey,” he continued. “I am very open to everything, just carrying on what I am doing.
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“Why not the Premier League? I don't know how long it is going to take, maybe sooner or later, for me I am always open for it.
“I know it's going to be a big challenge and coaches' jobs are becoming tougher and tougher. You see coaches surviving for a maximum four or five months. That is what it is now, that is the reality.
“For me, I am quite patient and I have to take my steps very carefully and in the right manner. That's why I am going to Belgium because I want to learn from top coaches like Carl, who has huge experience.”
