Football
Richard Jolly, ESPN.com writer 8y

Yaya Toure: Man City must win Champions League to be world's best

Yaya Toure says he wants to turn Manchester City into "the biggest club in the world."

Toure, 32, believes City have to win the Champions League if they are to achieve global dominance and said he wants to emulate Manchester United by securing silverware on a regular basis.

The Ivory Coast international joined City in 2010, when they had not won a major trophy for 34 years, but has since helped them win two Premier League titles, the FA Cup and the Capital One Cup.

But, although they have already qualified for the last 16 this season, they have never reached the quarterfinals of the Champions League.

"We have to win the Champions League, several trophies over many years," Toure told the Sunday Times.

"We have to show Manchester United, 'Yeah we're becoming like you.' They've been winning trophies for years and I want City to be like them. That is what I am fighting for and I will never give up."

Toure's future has been the subject of speculation, especially in the summer of 2014 when his agent, Dimitri Seluk, accused City of showing his client a lack of respect by not giving him a cake for his 31st birthday.

However, the midfielder insisted he is happy at the Etihad Stadium and voiced his gratitude to City owner Sheikh Mansour.

"Sometimes there's been big chat from my agent, the club and me as well, but what I want is to be here," he added.

"What City gave me is too much. What Sheikh Mansour, the owner gave me, I'm very grateful, very thankful. People think I am here for something else. No! From the beginning I wanted to see this club grow.

"Sometimes I play with injuries, but I want to show the boss and the fans I'm there to fight until the end. [Critics] don't understand that. I want to leave my mark. My target is to be the biggest club in the world."

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