Kolo Toure has revealed all on his infamous incident sliding in on Arsene Wenger during Arsenal training.
The 40-year-old has a distinguished career in the Premier League, playing for the likes of the Gunners, Manchester City and Liverpool.
He now sits behind Brendan Rodgers in the dugout as first-team coach at Leicester but he remains a favoured figure at the Emirates.
Back in 2002, Toure was signed by Wenger after a trial from Ivorian outfit ASEC Mimosas for £150,000.
The defender was an unknown but that did not stop him from delivering a brutal slide tackle to his prospective boss.
Despite absolutely scything down Wenger, the legendary Frenchman would fork out to get him in his side.
Toure was signed in February that year and would not be able to make his debut until the Community Shield the next season against Liverpool.
He would make 40 appearances in all competitions that campaign, firmly becoming a key player.
Speaking out on that incident, Toure told FourFourTwo: “I was really fortunate to be able to go to that trial. I spent two weeks there and, as you know, I put that tackle in on Arsene Wenger!
“You know, I think that slide-tackle changed my career.
“It showed the manager just how much I wanted to be successful, and how much I wanted to become a professional footballer. That’s how he took it, anyway.”
Speaking out on the aftermath, he said: “All the players were laughing and I was in shock!
“I thought they were going to get rid of me there and then – but Arsene is an intelligent guy.
“He only saw a young African boy who was keen to impress him, and gave me that opportunity to express myself and show what I was capable of doing.”
Toure would go on to make 326 appearances for the Gunners, going down in history as one of their Invincibles in 2003/04.
