Tall, athletic and robust, Yaya Touré raised his international profile considerably during FC Barcelona's treble-winning 2008/09 season. The Côte d'Ivoire international midfielder covered as a central defender in the UEFA Champions League final victory over Manchester United FC in Rome.

• The younger brother of Kolo Touré, he established his credentials as a teenager with Belgian club KSK Beveren – a common European breeding ground for Ivorian talent – before heading east to join FC Metalurh Donetsk in 2003.

• Spent 18 months in Ukraine, scoring three goals in 33 league appearances; moved on to Greek giants Olympiacos FC, where he won domestic double and made first foray into the UEFA Champions League, registering maiden win in the competition against Real Madrid CF (2-1 in Piraeus).

• One season in Greece followed by one in France – with AS Monaco FC in 2006/07 – before signing for Barcelona in August 2007 for €9m fee.

• Impressive first season for Catalans followed by brilliant second, in which he helped Josep Guardiola's team win every competition entered, making 43 appearances in the Liga/Copa del Rey/UEFA Champions League combined and opening the scoring in the Copa del Rey final.

• Won first international cap in June 2004 and appeared at three successive Africa Cup of Nations (2006, 2008, 2010) and was ever-present at 2006 FIFA World Cup as well as a key contributor to Les Éléphants' successful qualification for 2010 finals.

Did you know?
Touré scored on his European club competition debut – for Metalurh in a 2004/05 UEFA Cup second qualifying round tie at home to FC Tiraspol.