"We are so happy that he's come back", says Guardiola
Yaya Toure has been voted as the Bluemoon Player of the Month for December, capping a remarkable turnaround for the Ivorian midfielder under Pep Guardiola.
In August Toure was told that he wouldn't be considered for selection until he apologised for comments made by his agent Dmitri Seluk, following his exclusion from City's Champions League squad. The apology finally came in November, and Toure made his first league start of the season against Crystal Palace, scoring both goals in a 2-1 win.
December was a mixed month for the Blues with three defeats and three victories, plus a draw in the Champions League dead-rubber with Celtic. Toure added a third league goal of the season, in the Boxing Day win at Hull, and put in a commanding midfield performance to help the Blues beat Arsenal a week earlier.
The midfielder appears to be enjoying his football once again, after a difficult spell on the sidelines.
“To be honest, I’m really enjoying myself,” said Toure.
“I look like a kid, you know, just enjoying playing football and helping my team-mates and then the fans, it’s very important. I’m used to winning Premier Leagues and I want to win another”.
Pep Guardiola has also lauded the impact that Toure has had in recent weeks:
“Since he's come back his performances have been outstanding,” said Guardiola.
"He's a huge personality, and he always plays with good intelligence. We are so happy that he's come back, he was always a part of us, but now he's back playing.”
Toure polled 53.8% of the vote, with Raheem Sterling finishing second (17.6%) and Nicolas Otamendi in third place with 8.8%. The full poll can be seen here.