Kolo Toure was highly expected to move away from Liverpool after just 12 months after the club. The Merseyside outfit received several offers for the Ivory Coast international during the last transfer window, but Toure rejected those opportunities in favour of staying at Anfield. He is aware that Brendan Rodgers does not see him as the central defender alongside Martin Skrtel, but the former Manchester City and Arsenal defender is prepared to wait for his time in the first-team. Toure was utilised on several occasions last season after coming on a free transfer from City.
However, several mistakes towards the end of the season meant that Rodgers started seeing Skrtel and Sakho as his first choice central defensive partnership. The departure of Daniel Agger this summer means that Toure is next in line to fill in the team if Skrtel or Sakho suffered injuries over the course of the campaign. Toure is aware of the fact that injuries will almost be unavoidable over the course of a long campaign. Liverpool will also have more number of matches due to the return of Champions League to Anfield. At 33 years of age, Toure is coming to the end of his career and will be looking to maximise most out of his playing time.
“The time I’ve spent at Liverpool already has been amazing for me. We had a great season and I’ve had a great time. You always want to be part of a great team and I hope this will be another great season for Liverpool Football Club. There are so many games this season with the four competitions that the manager needs depth. I am sure everyone will get chances at some point. The most important thing for me is what’s best for the team, it’s not about individuals,” said Toure.