Kolo Toure profile
Name
Kolo Toure
Born
March 19, 1981
Sokuora Bouake, Ivory Coast
Position
Defender
Squad Number
5
Previous Club(s)
Asec Mimosas
Joined Arsenal
February 14, 2002
Arsenal Debut
Liverpool (n)
Community Shield
August 11, 2002
Won 1-0
First Arsenal Goal
Chelsea (a)
Premier League
September 01, 2002
Drew 1-1
Kolo is Arsenal's most established central back and, somewhat surprisingly, the only remaining regular from the 'Invincibles' side of 2003/04.
A utility player when he arrived at Highbury in 2002, the Ivorian has blossomed into an exemplary defender. He has strength and pace, times his tackles expertly and is quick to snuff out danger when the ball is played through the middle. Now entering his late 20s, Kolo's leadership skills are increasingly to the fore in an inexperienced Arsenal squad.
Last term was not a vintage campaign for Kolo - he struggled to find his best form after the African Cup of Nations and was shunted out to right-back when Bacary Sagna got injured - but he excelled in the first half of the season as Arsenal set the Premier League pace. Kolo developed a promising partnership with William Gallas and scored two important goals at Emirates Stadium.
Kolo is a pivotal figure for his country as well as his club. First capped in 2000, he played a key role as Ivory Coast qualified for their first World Cup in 2006 and helped the Elephants reach the Semi-Finals of the African Cup of Nations in 2008.
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