Wigan Athletic failure shouldn't define Kolo Toure, insists former mentor

That's the verdict of Brendan Rodgers, who worked with Toure the player at Liverpool, before giving him his first coaching role at Celtic.

The duo then moved to Leicester in 2019, before Toure elected to take his first post as a No.1 at the DW this time last year.

It was nothing short of catastrophic, with Latics failing to win during his nine matches in charge, before he was sacked barely a month later.

Rodgers, though, insists failure is a part of the process he has experienced himself, and should not act as a deterrent to trying again when the next opportunity arises.

“Kolo is one of the nicest men I have ever met in my life and in football," said Rodgers.

"It was hard for him at Wigan, because you go into your first job and you have to make that decision to go in despite people maybe telling you not to do it.

"If you get the feeling to go then you have to go and do it.

“Listen, I had that early on in my career, when I lost my job before I had even really started my managerial career.

"I had a really good time at Watford, should have stayed but didn’t.

"Went to Reading and within 22 games I think it was, I lost my job.

“So I’m thinking ‘Am I going to get another chance?’

"I knew I’d be better next time because, for the first time in my life, I was unemployed.

"And I knew it wasn’t now with development players.

"I was still developing them but I had to sharpen my teeth.

"So I knew, with the next job I went into, I had to be good if I was going to survive.

"Thankfully Swansea City gave me that chance."

Rodgers says he learnt a lot from working alongside Toure, who has plenty to offer.

“Kolo’s a good man, he’s got great experience, he’s played, coached and been around enough," Rodgers added in ‘The Scotsman’.

"I really do hope he gets another opportunity, because he’s someone who develops and helps people improve as players.

"And as a person, I learned so much working with Kolo."