Kolo Toure has retired from playing to take up a coaching role at Celtic.

The 36-year-old announced his retirement from playing so he can take up the position of “technical assistant” at Celtic.

The role, according to ESPN, will see him support all first-team coaching matters, and use his “knowledge, experience and expertise” to assist at youth level.

Speaking on his new role, Toure told the official Celtic website:  “I couldn’t be happier to be back at this great club.

“This is a new chapter in my career, a new beginning. The football is over now. I can officially say I am retired from playing and now I am fully concentrating on coaching.

“For me there is no big change in terms of what I will be doing. I have always been the kind of player who tries to help those around me.

“Now I will try to give advice, help the young players and just guide them and pass on all the experience I have acquired during my career.”

Toure had his best spell as a player while at Arsenal.

He joined the club from ASEC in 2002 after a successful trial and became a core part of the Invincibles team. After making 326 appearances for the club, he departed for Manchester City in 2009.

Toure spent four years at City and made 102 appearances before moving on to Liverpool, where he played under current Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers.

It seems he developed a good relationship with Rodgers, as he followed him to Celtic last season and will now work under him.

He follows in the footsteps of fellow Invincibles Jens Lehmann, Patrick Vieira, Freddie Ljungberg, Dennis Bergkamp and Thierry Henry, who all went into coaching once their playing days were over.