Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini has likened Yaya Toure to Dutch legend Ruud Gullit.

Mancini played with Gullit at Sampdoria.

He told the Manchester Evening News: "Yaya is fantastic because he has everything - he is strong, quick, has good technique, and can play in different positions. He is like Gullit for me - a player of that kind. But he can't play alone - he needs another 10 players.

"It is clear he has class - if he didn't we wouldn't have bought him. He also has big experience as he has played for Barça and has that winning mentality. But he is also a good guy, which is another important asset."

Mancini played with Gullit at Sampdoria during the early 1990s, and he said: "When you are a top player you can play in every position, and for me Yaya is one of the best players in Europe."