Yaya Toure: I want to stay at Manchester City and make them the biggest club in the world

Toure, 32, had had a rocky time at City, coming close to leaving after the title-winning season in 2014 after a row about birthday greetings from his employers.

Then, last season, he was criticised for City's apparent running out of steam in the title race - despite leaving for the African Cup of Nations with City on top of the table, and returning to find them seven points adrift.

And the former Barcelona star has hit back at his critics in a lengthy interview with Jonathan Northcroft.

"What I want is to be here. What City gave me is... too much. What Sheikh Mansour, the owner, gave me... I’m very grateful, very thankful," he said, confirming that he wants to stay put beyond his current contract which expires in 2017.

“People think I’m here for something else. No! From the beginning I wanted to see this club grow."

The ups and downs, he says, are a normal part of life - and show above all that he cares about the club.

"It’s like a guy and his wife," he said.

"You have fights and arguments, but the love is there the same. Sometimes when you fight, it’s because it means something...

"Sometimes I play with injuries, but I want to show the boss and fans I’m there to fight until the end. [Critics] don’t understand that.

"I want to leave my mark. My target is to be the biggest club in the world.”

When asked if he sees himself as a future City manager, he smiled and said, "Insha’Allah!"

That causal grin belies a steely determination, according to Northccroft:

"Roberto Mancini nicknamed him coach” because of his obsession with analysing football," the article writes, adding that he reviews video of his matches, making notes, and is currently studying how Raheem Sterling played at Liverpool so he understands the movements Sterling was used to when he dovetailed with Luis Suarez.

"When we play away the other players have computers and play games, Championship Manager or something," added Toure.

"Me, I’m not too interested, I want to look at real games. [former coach Jean-Marc Guillou] told me you can’t critique your team-mates if you can’t critique yourself...

"Football is how you can put your quality and your teammate’s together to perform."