Toure sings Balotelli´s praises

Yaya Toure says that if he could choose one Manchester City team-mate to play alongside him for the Ivory Coast it would be Mario Balotelli.

Toure is away on Africa Cup of Nations duty, preparing for a quarter-final against co-hosts Equatorial Guinea, and he said Balotelli’s power and concentration are the assets that would make him preferred over such names as David Silva and Sergio Aguero.

“If I could choose one City player to play for the Ivory Coast it would be Mario,” Toure told Goal.com.

“Whatever you hear about him is just newspaper stuff and I wish I had been as committed as him when I was his age.”

“He is such a powerful guy and his concentration levels are unbelievable.”

“He is young, so sometimes one or two things he does are maybe misunderstood but for me it is all part of his charm.”

“You cannot take away his quality on the field and in the end that is what really matters.”

Since Toure left for international duty, City have lost three of their last six matches in all competitions, getting knocked out of both the League Cup and FA Cup in the process.

The talismanic midfielder may not be available until late February should Ivory Coast reach the Cup of Nations final.