The 34-year-old will be ending his illustrious stay at the Ethiad Stadium outfit
Former Chelsea and Manchester City player Frank Lampard has ranked Yaya Toure as one of his toughest midfield opponents.
The Cote d'Ivoire international will play his final home game when City face Brighton and Hove Albion in Wednesday’s English Premier League clash.
The midfielder played an influential role for the Citizens, helping them to three Premier League titles, two League Cups, one FA Cup and Community Shield in his eight-year stay.
And the former England international has picked the playmaker alongside Steven Gerrard, Roy Keane, Patrick Vieira and Paul Scholes as his five toughest midfield opponents.
“I would put Yaya Toure in the top five of the toughest midfield opponents I faced in my career, and at his peak he could change games on his own,” Lampard told BBC Sport.
“Steven Gerrard probably edges it as the best I have played against, for his consistency over the years, but Yaya is up there along with Roy Keane, Patrick Vieira and Paul Scholes - which shows how highly I rate him.
“Every midfielder has different attributes but the best players are the ones you fear, and I certainly did that when I was up against Yaya.
“Even some of the very best play within themselves slightly, but he didn't. He would hurt you by going forward and by scoring goals at the end of it, which is always a great trait that not many midfield players have.
“When I faced him, I knew he was very good on the ball and could pass it around me if he wanted to. He knew the moments to keep it simple and move the ball around.
“But if you got too close to him to try to stop him doing that, he also had that ability to drive through midfield and his physical power and pace - which was deceptive because of his big stride - made it so difficult to stay with him.
“Either by making a one-two or just by facing me up and running straight past me, he would be gone.”
The former Monaco man has featured in 229 league games, scoring 59 goals.
muhammadsinantr
1
THANK YOU THE LEGEND YAYA 💙🔥🔥🔥👑
derekryan77
0
Toure has been excellent as a player as was his brother Kolo Toure.
Tazeopruyz
1
he is the best midfielder that makes me to love football
Yadaeopsyz
2
please yaya go to Manchester United for one season
Elsa98
2
Yaya!!
hitdnortyz
1
hats off to Mr yaya you are man city legend man
hitdnortyz
2
raheem_CFC
2
Have a good life after man city yaya
raheem_CFC
3
farewell yaya
socabilmz
1
he is one of the best plyrs evn if he is nt lik or infavr of the couch
Bartholonew
1
His goal in the Man City vs Aston Villa game of 2014 was the most 'men against boys' type goal I've ever seen. Simply unstoppable.
payback
0
Peak Yaya was a freak of nature. There wasn't a thing on the field he couldn't do, literally. Its like what footballers in 50-70 years could be but with longer career timelines at said Peak level.
basalive
0
He’s the only one I have seen dominate a Chelsea midfield on a regular basis.
Radionicc
0
Yaya Toure was a beast. He single handedly won City the title in 13/14, when everyone else was resigned to not winning it. One of the best game changers in the recent premier league era.
opportun
0
Best african player in pl ever along with Drogba
Mickmerlin
0
One of the best midfielders in PL history honestly
oilfield
0
Those curling shots he could strike were beautiful, especially from free kicks. Absolute beast in his time.
untillove
0
That's huge praise from someone with as long a career as Lampard.
wetsar
0
He may not have had the same consistency and longevity as some of the other greats but Toure in 13/14 was probably as dominant a central midfielder as there's ever been in the premier league
unknow
0
I’ve always been a huge admirer of Yaya. One of the best PL players from 10/11 - 13/14. His 13/14 form was amazing, scoring 20 goals from midfield. He could literally do everything it seemed.
Eiko18
0
Best midfielder in the WC ; Ivorian powerhouse..you will be missed at City 👍⚽️