Yaya Toure: Ex-Barcelona and Manchester City midfielder rules out Wigan manager's job

Yaya Toure made 230 Premier League appearances and scored 79 goals in all competitions in eight years at Manchester City

Yaya Toure has told Wigan Athletic he does not want to be considered for their vacant manager's job.

The former Barcelona and Manchester City midfielder joined the coaching staff at Tottenham Hotspur's academy last summer but his long-term ambition is to manage at senior level.

Wigan were attracted to the idea of bringing Toure to the DW Stadium, but at no point did they offer him the job.

Toure spoke with the Championship club, but decided to remain with Spurs.

Wigan sacked manager Leam Richardson on 10 November, after giving him a new three-year contract on 25 October.

Toure, who retired as a player in 2019 after a brief stint in China, will carry on working with the Premier League club to develop his coaching.

The 39-year-old was one of the most prominent players of his era, winning the Champions League and two La Liga titles with Barcelona, plus three Premier League crowns with Manchester City.

Toure also scored the winner in the 2011 FA Cup final against Stoke - the first major trophy of the Abu Dhabi era at City.

Wigan hope to bring in a replacement for Richardson before their Championship campaign resumes next month.

The former Blackpool boss and Steven Gerrard's assistant at Aston Villa, Neil Critchley, Rob Edwards, who was sacked by Watford earlier this season, former Everton coach Duncan Ferguson and Shaun Maloney, who played for Wigan in their momentous 2013 FA Cup final win against City, are among the favourites for the role.