MANCHESTER CITY star Yaya Toure claims he does not get the praise he deserves because he is African.The talismanic midfielder, who has 18 league goals to his name, is widely regarded as one of the best central midfielders in the Premier League.
However, the Ivory Coast powerhouse and three-time African player of the year believes he doesn't get world-wide recognition from the press because of where he was born.
Toure told BBC World News: "To be honest, proper recognition has only come from the fans.
"I don't want to be hard and I don't want to be negative, but I want to be honest.
"If we (Africans) play well and we don't have the recognition from the media, we are not going to be where we want to be.
"If you go to any part of Africa now, people will say 'yes, we know [Lionel Messi], but when you come to Europe and say 'Yaya Toure' people will say, 'who is that?' Some will say they know my name but not know my face. But they will know Messi's face.
"I am very proud to be African, I want to defend African people and I want to show to the world that African players can be as good as the Europeans and South Americans."
Toure has been in sensational form for Manuel Pellegrini's men this season, and has found himself on the PFA's Player of the Year shortlist alongside Southampton's Adam Lallana, Chelsea's Eden Hazard and Liverpool trio Daniel Sturridge, Steven Gerrard and Luis Suarez.
And Toure confirmed his desire to win the Premier League's top individual award, adding: "As a champion, as a winner, I always want to win."
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