TheCable

Manchester City midfielder, Yaya Toure, believes he is a role model to the younger ones, stating categorically that teammate, Kelechi Iheanacho is one of his mentees.

This is coming in the aftermath of his statement condemning the Confederation of African Football (CAF) after failing to win the 2015 African Footballer of the Year award for the fifth time last Thursday.

Toure, who, according to his agent, Dimitri Seluk, faces a worrying spell at the Etihad if rumours of Pep Guardiola replacing Manuel Pellegrini at the end of the season are true, described his relationship with the teenager as brotherly.

“Yes, I am very close to Kelechi and he sees me as his mentor,” Toure said while speaking with SportingLife.

The 32-year-old enthused that the Nigerian international could become one of the big names at City with talks of an improved contract already in the pipeline.

“I see him as one of my younger brothers coming through one day. I hope that Kelechi can be one of the top players on the field in the future.

“I see him closely and I trust him and I have been trying to push him up. I know what I have done to encourage him to continue to believe in his talent.”

Iheanacho has been rated as one of the finest youngsters at the club; he scored City’s second goal in their 3-0 demolition of Norwich City on Saturday in the FA Cup third-round clash.