Toure can't stop laughing as he listens back to iconic story about Arsenal trial

Most talkSPORT listeners will have heard the iconic story, retold by Gunners legend Ray Parlour about when a young Toure nearly wrecked their season - and left Arsene Wenger with a sore ankle.

The 42-year-old played for the Gunners, Manchester City, and Liverpool during a stellar Premier League career.

He does, however, remain a cult hero amongst Arsenal fans, having joined in 2002 from Ivorian outfit ASEC Mimosas for just £150,000.

Despite being unknown, he was given a golden chance to impress and maybe even secure a contract in the Premier League with an invitation to train with Arsenal.

And Toure can't help but laugh now at his 'enthusiasm'... as he delivered a brutal slide tackle on his prospective gaffer.

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Parlour recalled the moment he did just that, leaving Toure in stitches.

"The first ball goes into [Thierry] Henry, and from nowhere, Kolo Toure takes him out," Parlour told talkSPORT.

"Wenger is like, 'Kolo, no kicking!' Next minute, they swap over [Dennis] Bergkamp goes up against Toure now.

"The ball goes in, and he takes Bergkamp out! So now, Wenger is getting really irritated.

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"'Kolo, no tackle, no tackle', he said. Toure is going, 'OK boss, OK, OK'.

"We had big games coming up, and with Henry and Bergkamp out, we could not win the league, simple as that... and we had a trialist kick them!

"So anyway, the next ball goes in, and Toure makes a really good interception.

"The ball spins up, and then he follows the ball; the ball lands right at Arsene Wenger's feet. Boof, he takes him out!"

Wenger then hobbled towards the physio room, where Parlour saw him later with a big ice pack of his swollen ankle.

However, far from being annoyed, the Frenchman said he loved Toure's desire, and offered him a full-time contract the next day!

Kolo lifted the lid on the incident, telling talkSPORT on Friday: "I was so enthusiastic! I could not believe I was training with these guys.

"I was coming there and playing with people who were my idols, and when the game started, I wanted to show people what I was capable of doing.

"I was trying to tackle everything I could, including the manager!"

Toure would later become one of Arsenal's Invincibles of the famous unbeaten 2003/04 season.

The centre-back recorded 326 appearances during his time with Gunners, before going on to make a combined 173 appearances with Man City - where he won another Premier League title - and Liverpool.

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He also made 17 appearances for Celtic under Brendan Rodgers, before hanging up his boots in 2017.

Toure was recently sacked as Wigan Athletic boss, having previously been on the coaching staff at both Celtic and Leicester City under his former boss Rodgers.