Toure reveals how slide tackling Wenger changed his Arsenal career

Toure

joined

from

ASEC Mimosas

in 2002 but quickly established himself as one of the best center-backs in the Premier League.

In a trial session, the central defender hurled into challenges with

Thierry Henry

,

Dennis Bergkamp

, and

Wenger

. The last of those tackles saw the Frenchman limp out of the training session.

Toure told 

: “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.”

When asked about 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.”

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