Yaya Toure: I want more black managers — Ivorian legend hopes to inspire a trend of diversity in elite football coaching

Premier League legend Yaya Toure has revealed that he plans to be an inspiration for the start of a wave of black managers in elite football. 

The 40-year-old former Ivorian was one of the best midfielders during his active playing days and has now opened up about his desire to become a top coach as well. 

Yaya Toure recently took on a role as assistant coach of Belgian Pro League side Standard Liege, after previously coaching Tottenham's U-16 team and having brief spells in Russia and Ukraine. 

Toure seems intentional in going through a gradual learning process, as he aspires to become one of the elite coaches in the world, and even more than personal ambition, he hopes he and his brother Kolo Toure can become trailblazers for more diversity in elite coaching. 

"I want to see diversity," Toure said on the BBC Match of the Day Africa ‘Top 10 Greatest Afcon Managers’ podcast.

"Most of the time, people have questioned whether Africans or black coaches would be able to take lessons properly and get involved in managerial roles. I think now they're going to have the answer soon.

"My brother was first - he started it [coaching], and I was second. Let's see. I'm just challenging myself at a high level in Europe and we'll see if opportunities come in."

His 42-year-old older brother also eased himself into management, working as part of the coaching staff for Brendan Rodgers's Leicester City before bagging a head coach role at Wigan in the Championship.

 However, he was fired by the club after only nine games, which included six defeats that saw the club lie at the bottom of the division. Despite sacking Toure, the Latics failed to stave off relegation, and they now compete in League One.