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Toure: I need a break

Cape Town - Manchester City midfielder Yaya Toure admits that he is in desperate need of some rest after what has been a long and gruelling season.

Toure was a leading light for the Citizens as they battled their way to the 2013/14 Premier League title, before captaining the Ivory Coast in the World Cup.

With the Elephants having been knocked out of the global showpiece in the group stages, Toure's season has finally come to an end, and the 31-year-old concedes that his recent performances have been below par due to fatigue.

"I got through this World Cup like a ghost," Toure is quoted as saying by the Manchester Evening News.

"I was never 100 per cent. I gave everything I could but sometimes it was not enough. I suffered in silence, I kept to myself.

"I admit that I'm completely drained, worn out, both physically and mentally. All these emotions on top of each other have totally exhausted me. I am out of energy. After the World Cup, I will take myself away from it all for a while."

Toure will only be required to report for pre-season training at the end of July, giving him a brief chance to recuperate before returning to Eastlands where his future is uncertain after butting heads with the club in recent times.

Having criticised the Citizens' owners for not acknowledging his birthday when the team visited Dubai, and then asserting that the club did not allow him time to visit his brother who recently lost his battle with cancer, there have been suggestions that Toure is trying to push for a move away from Manchester. Barcelona and Paris St-Germain have both been linked with the midfielder.


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