“Yaya Toure is an utter disgrace”

“I’d give Yaya Toure one happy return back to Spain!”

Yaya Toure is an utter disgrace. The best thing Manchester City can do now is send him back to Spain.

Modern-day footballers have a reputation for being spoiled, and the midfielder most certainly isn’t the first to try to work his ticket.

But to complain to the club’s owners for not wishing you ‘Happy Birthday’ is nothing short of embarrassing.

It wasn’t even as if it was a landmark birthday like a 21st or even a 30th. Not that it should make any difference!

Toure turned 31. Your normal man in the street doesn’t throw a party for that one, just like your normal man in the street does not earn £225,000 per week, like he does.

I can honestly say I never received a birthday cake or card from any club throughout my playing career nor did I expect one.

If this is how much football has pampered players that they expect a day of celebration every time they grow a year older then the business is in an even worse state than I feared.

When I heard his agent or rather, mouthpiece Dimitry Seluk highlighting how Roberto Carlos was given a Bugatti super car by the owners of Russia club Anzhi Makhachkala on his birthday, I almost burst out laughing.

But this is no laughing matter. Aren’t his astronomical wages enough?

If he wanted a Bugatti, he could buy one. In fact, he’s that rich he could buy seven one for every day of the week and in different colours too!

Now Toure has come out and told us all he will make a statement after he’s finished representing the Ivory Coast at the World Cup in Brazil this summer. That’s big of him, eh?

I’ve also read reports Toure’s mouthpiece was angry at not seeing enough pictures or posters of his client around the Etihad Stadium, or enough strips with his name and number in the club shop. What a complete load of utter nonsense.

Seriously, I’ve read and listened to agents spout some rubbish over the years but Dimitry Seluk takes the biscuit.

Others clubs are forced to tolerate such outbursts from their leading stars, and pander to them in a bid to keep them on board. If there is one club in the world that don’t have to do that it’s City.

They can easily offload any player and replace them with someone every bit as good. Money is absolutely no object to them. And that is what they should do with Toure.

They should tell his agent to go and inform Barcelona and Real Madrid what the price is, and send him on his way. And hopefully his replacement isn’t quite as precious!