GETTY Kolo Toure to be handed player-coach role at Celtic by Brendan Rodgers

The Ivory Coast international has been hailed by the club’s manager as the unsung hero of the season. Although the former Liverpool and Arsenal stopper has hardly featured in recent months, he is credited with invaluable mentoring work behind the scenes. And while Toure, who turns 36 in March, may be winding down his playing career, Rodgers is still keen to extend his Celtic contract beyond the summer with the added incentive of a role on his backroom staff. The Northern Irishman said: “It’s something we’ll talk about at some stage between now and the end of the season, absolutely. There’s no doubt about that.

GETTY Rodgers is keen to extend his contract and offer him a role on his backroom staff

“I brought him here for a number of reasons and one of them, of course, was playing, to help us get through to the Champions League. That mentality, and the experience of what it takes to get there, was going to be important. “There are also other reasons, like influence in the changing room. That doesn’t have to end after this season. “He’s a good guy and I like to help good people. I want to work with him and it’s something he and I will talk about between now and the end of the season.” Rodgers believes Toure’s presence has taken the burden of responsibility off Scott Brown’s shoulders, and led to the captain playing some of the best football of his career.

GETTY Rodgers reckons Toure's presence has helped Scott Brown play his best football

The influence on the form of centre-half pairing Jozo Simunovic and Erik Sviatchenko is in part down to Toure’s training ground influence. And as a sounding board for Moussa Dembele, the manager reckons there’s no one better. Rodgers said: “When he was at Liverpool I put him on his journey of coaching. We started him on his badges and he has just completed his B licence. He sees himself going down that route. “He has been invaluable. Scott Brown will probably tell you the help he’s been. Before, there were maybe not so many other leaders around him. “But Kolo came in and straight away he’s a man with big experiences who is a good communicator. “He’s good with the young players, he has empathy for them and wants to help them. He always helps the manager.

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