Yaya Toure is set to leave Manchester City at the end of this season after spending eight years at the club. He has revealed that his wife warned him about joining the club after they struggled to sign any big named players.

The midfielder said when he was shown around the club he didn’t recognise any of the club’s legends and that the fans were in hiding until City started winning trophies.

She said it was a big gamble and asked me how I could do it because Barcelona was at a high level and City were down there. I remember City were trying to get other players like Kaka but none of them were willing to come. They would go to United. Great. City. No.

I had been at successful clubs. Olympiakos, Monaco, Barcelona. When you go to the museums there you can see all the older players. I asked if City had such a place. I went and looked but I didn’t know any of them.

Before we started to win trophies, the fans only thought bad things. They were always hiding because United were above them. After those first trophies they could say ‘we are coming’. They started to believe in us.

Toure revealed that his toughest opponent is United’s Nemanaja Matic

I hate him, this bastard! He’s such a difficult player to play against. Tall and strong as well. It’s been fun to play against him, even though it’s difficult. He’s powerful, he’s tall. To be able to find an opponent to play against me and stop me… there’s few of them, but Matic was one of the close ones who was able to give me problems. He can run. He can fall back. He can track. He can fight. He’s a good, good player.