Kolo Toure has been appointed first team coach at Wigan and has hired former Arsenal u23s head coach, Kevin Betsy, to work alongside him.

LEICESTER, ENGLAND - MARCH 09: Leicester City Manager, Brendan Rodgers looks on from the bench with Jamie Vardy behind him during the Premier League match between Leicester City and Aston Villa at The King Power Stadium on March 09, 2020 in Leicester, United Kingdom. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)
LEICESTER, ENGLAND – MARCH 09: Leicester City Manager, Brendan Rodgers looks on from the bench with Jamie Vardy behind him during the Premier League match between Leicester City and Aston Villa at The King Power Stadium on March 09, 2020 in Leicester, United Kingdom. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)

Kolo Toure joined Arsenal from ASEC Mimosas in 2002 for £150,000 and left the club for Manchester City in 2009 for £14m.

Four years there saw him head to Liverpool for a few seasons before a move to Scotland to join Celtic, where he became a coach under Brendan Rodgers after retiring from playing in 2017.

18 months later, Toure was back in the Premier League as a coach with Leicester City as Rodgers left Celtic for the Foxes.

Now, he is taking a step up to first-team coach, and, with the best free bet offers here you can get great odds on his first match against Millwall in December.

Championship side, Wigan, who have been looking for a new boss since they sacked Leam Richardson earlier this month, have named him as their new head coach

BIRMINGHAM, UNITED KINGDOM - DECEMBER 26: (L-R) Kolo Toure, Vassiriki Diaby and Bakari Sagna of Arsenal celebrate Arsenal's second goal scored by Diaby during the Barclays Premier League match between Aston Villa and Arsenal at Villa Park on December 26, 2008 in Birmingham, England. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)
BIRMINGHAM, UNITED KINGDOM – DECEMBER 26: (L-R) Kolo Toure, Vassiriki Diaby and Bakari Sagna of Arsenal celebrate Arsenal’s second goal scored by Diaby during the Barclays Premier League match between Aston Villa and Arsenal at Villa Park on December 26, 2008 in Birmingham, England. (Photo by Clive Mason/Getty Images)

Toure, 41, held successful talks with Wigan at the start of November. They then offered him the job, but not before considering his brother, Yaya.

The younger Toure, however, opted to remain at Tottenham, where he coaches in their academy.

Kolo has agreed a three-and-a-half year deal and will be joined at Wigan by former Arsenal coach Kevin Betsy.

Betsy was head coach of Arsenal’s u23’s before leaving to take up the role of manager at Crawley Town.

In October, he was sacked after only four months.

About the appointment, Wigan Chief Executive Malachy Brannigan said: “We are delighted that Kolo has become the new manager of Wigan Athletic Football Club, and the Board are pleased that he is the man to take us forward. 

“We received a high calibre of applicants for the manager’s job in recent weeks, in a very thorough recruitment process as we looked to appoint the right person for the role. 

“From the earliest of conversations we had with Kolo, it was evident to us that he had instantly bought into the values of the Club – with his enthusiasm, knowledge and immense desire to work and be part of Wigan Athletic shining throughout the process. 

“There is no doubt that this appointment is an exciting one for the Football Club. Kolo is a manager who wants to play a positive brand of football and will strive every day to make the Club stronger. 

“The work starts immediately with the first team squad, as the season is just a couple of weeks away from restarting. 

“As a Board of Directors, we look forward to working closely with Kolo and his team as the work begins collectively to establish Wigan Athletic as a Championship Club. 

“I am sure that all Latics supporters will get behind the appointment of Kolo Touré, give their backing to the staff and the players, as the Football Club begins a new, exciting era – starting at Millwall on December 10th.”

In total, Toure made 326 appearances for Arsenal and scored 14 goals.

He was part of the Invincibles squad that won the league without losing a match.

Toure also won two FA Cups with Arsenal, one with City (and a Premier League title), the treble in Scotland with Celtic and the Africa Cup of Nations in 2015 with Ivory Coast.