Football
Richard Jolly, ESPN.com writer 9y

Manchester City star Yaya Toure: I can play until I'm 40

Yaya Toure has said he can play until he is 40 as he insisted he wants to stay at Manchester City until 2017.

Toure, 32, said he has eight more seasons left in him and is determined to spend the first two of them at the Etihad Stadium.

The midfielder had been tipped to move on this summer, with former City boss Roberto Mancini having been keen to take him to Inter Milan, and his agent said in May that Toure was "90 percent certain" to leave. 

However, Toure, who joined from Barcelona in 2010, then said that he would remain at City and he has now added that he wants to see out the final two years of his current deal.

He said in a news conference in Melbourne: "There was too much speculation about me leaving -- it's clear that I have my contract at City and I want to see out my contract.

"I've always known for 32 years that I can play until 40 because I know my quality and that's all."

Toure is set to be part of a new-look City midfield after James Milner and Frank Lampard left and Raheem Sterling and Fabian Delph came in, and the Ivorian said is delighted by the signings.

"We've signed some great players this year in Sterling and Delph," he said. "We welcome them and we hope they will give us a massive boost."

Toure is set to face Real Madrid when City take on the 2014 Champions League winners in Melbourne on Friday.

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