Ex-Arsenal, Manchester City, Liverpool and Celtic hero tipped to do 'really, really well' at Wigan Athletic - by old Leicester City mentor Rodgers

Rodgers managed Toure at both Liverpool and Celtic, the latter where he identified him as management material and added him to his backroom staff.

The duo moved to Leicester in 2019, since when Toure has been biding his time before deciding when to put his hand up to be a No.1.

That moment came at the end of last month, when Latics started their search for a successor for Leam Richardson.

And Rodgers has absolutely no doubt his protege has the skill set to make a success of his first senior role.

"Kolo's a great man," Rodgers told LCFC TV. "I signed Kolo as a player at Liverpool and at Celtic.

"After his period at Celtic I took him into my coaching team. I've also learned a lot from Kolo.

"It's the beauty of the job I'm in as a manager. I love to see people progress in their life, in their professional life.

"This for him is a nice progression forward into becoming a manager.

"I've actually got a call with him a little bit later on, so it'll be nice to speak to him.

"He's a great guy. Everyone has to make their first steps.

"It came around quickly, but he's gone into the Championship and he will do really, really well as a manager, I'm sure."

Toure has been getting to know the Latics squad, having joined them midway through their warm-weather training camp in Turkey last week.

And he is determined to use all the knowledge and nous picked up from Rodgers - as well as the likes of Arsene Wenger and Roberto Mancini - to help Latics move up the Championship table.

“I’m very excited to be here,” he said. “I have always been ambitious and right from the start, I told Brendan Rodgers I wanted to be a manager one day.

“When the opportunity came, it was important for me to take it, and I believe Wigan is a good club with a big story.

“They’ve won some very big trophies, I remember the FA Cup win, and for me, I’m looking forward to helping the team progress.

“I’ve been lucky to work with top managers, and you always take different things from each of them. They all have unbelievable experience, and I’m looking forward to finding my own way as a manager.

“I have been really enjoying my time with the players, and it’s been a great couple of days.

“They (the fans) will definitely see a really hard-working team. It will be a team that is very aggressive in attack, and defensively strong, and with a winning mentality.

“For me, the most important thing is to take each game at a time, and (treat) every game like it’s a final. We will give everything in every single game.

“The only thing I can be sure of is that everyone - the players, staff and myself - will give it our best every single day to make this football club a better football club.”