Two-time Premier League winner’s son joins English non-league team after Wrexham spell

Kolo Toure’s son, Yassine, has joined non league side Altrincham – months after his spell at Wrexham came to an end.

The National League side announced on Thursday that they had signed the 19-year-old on a deal until the end of the season.

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Unlike his father, the former Manchester City and Arsenal defender, Yassine is a right-sided attacker, who most recently lined up in the reserve ranks of Hollywood-owned Wrexham.

The youngster also has academy pedigree, having played for both Leicester and Celtic’s youth teams.

He starred for the Foxes in the Under-18 Premier League, making 23 appearances and scoring three goals.

And as he now targets a breakthrough in senior football, Yassine will have support on hand close by, with Toure Sr. currently serving as Pep Guardiola‘s assistant manager at Man City.

‘A lot of potential’

After announcing his arrival, Altrincham manager Neil Gibson hailed his huge potential of the highly-rated youngster.

However, he did also add that it could be some time before supporters catch a glimpse of Toure Jr, with the club eyeing up a loan move to boost first-team experience.

Gibson said: “Yassine has a lot of potential. He has a huge amount of physical prowess. He is very strong, and, in one-on-one duels, he is quick, pacey.

“There is an area of his game that needs tidying up and he needs to learn men’s football, so we are looking to give him some game time with other clubs, be it loan or dual registration.

“We will work with him over the next few months to try to improve him to a point where he can compete for a first-team place.

“He is still only young, and he has a good pedigree in terms of his time at Wrexham.

“His attitude in training has been fantastic. He has worked really hard, and he looks like someone who, over the next six to 12 months, we could mould into a good National League footballer.”

Altrincham currently compete in fifth tier National League, where they sit 14th out of 24 teams after 21 games played.

Following in his father’s footsteps

Yassine will certainly be looking to kick-start his career in non league, as he targets a career as illustrious as his father’s.

Kolo Toure was part of Arsenal‘s Invincibles team that clinched the 2003/04 Premier League title after going the entire season unbeaten.

He later joined Man City, where he played a key role in transforming the club into the powerhouse they are now.

Between 2009 and 2013, Toure helped the club to FA Cup glory in 2011, before winning their first ever Premier League title in 2012.

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The Ivorian then went on to join Liverpool and later Celtic, where he ultimately ended his career as a champion of Scotland in 2017.

Toure also represented Ivory Coast on 120 occasions, and was part of their side that won the 2015 Africa Cup of Nations.

Meanwhile his son, Yassine, has dual citizenship, making him eligible to represent England – his country of birth – or his father’s nation.