Wilfried Bony has given City fans a timely reminder that, in Yaya Toure, they have a legend in their midst.

The Blues new boy joined the club after talking to his Ivory Coast team-mate, and the pair are expected to team up for the first time at club level against Newcastle today.

Toure’s return and Bony’s impending debut are a major boost to City’s title hopes, but Yaya still has his critics – and that has Bony baffled.

He knows the influence Toure had on his country’s recent African Nations Cup triumph, and witnessed the adulation he got when they returned to the capital city Abidjan with the trophy.

“Yaya is a legend,” Bony told M.E.N. Sport. “Whatever people say, what he has done for our country is a massive thing – he is one of the really, really important players in the team, and we saw that in the African Cup of Nations.

“The fact he has won the trophy as best African footballer four times is not nothing.

“What he has done for this club, and for the national team, is great.”

Toure helped to sell City to Bony after the Blues made a £25m bid – and now they plan to forge the kind of relationship that was evident during the tournament in Equatorial Guinea.

“We have trained a lot together for the national team, but now we are together here and for the national team, so it will be a good combination between us,” said Bony.

“We didn’t really talk a lot about City while we were there, but he spoke with me before that, when we were in Abu Dhabi.

“We stopped that when we got to the African Cup, because we didn’t start well, and it was too tough – we had to make sure we got through the group, so we focussed on that. But whenever we have had time, we talked about City.”

Toure is expected to return to action for the must-win home game with Newcastle, but is suspended for the first leg of the Champions League last 16 clash with Barcelona on Tuesday.

Bony is set for a place on the bench, but he believes he could still make an impact on the game, which would be his Champions League debut.

Asked if he feels he could be City’s secret weapon, the type of player Barca are not used to facing, he replied: “Maybe. I have spoken with the coach, and he knows my strengths. He will talk to me every day about what he wants from me, and what he wants me to do, and I will try my best to do it.

“I am good at keeping the ball, good in the air, strong on the ball – that is my power, and I will try to use it here.

“I know what I can do, so if they get the ball to me, they know my strengths, and my power. I want to put that into the team, and help the team.”

Bony revealed he has set himself a goals target for the rest of the season, but would not say what it is.

“I have a number of goals in my mind, but first I want to be fit and play, and then we will see,” he said.

“I always keep my goal targets to myself, and don’t say them to another person.

“There are good, creative players here for sure, and I can score. I have to be ready for the game, when the coach needs me. And when there is a chance to score, I must score.”

Click below for a gallery of Bony in Manchester