ULTRA MAG | ISSUE 23 - Al Hassan Toure

Al Hassan Toure has been one of the breakout players of the 22/23 A-League Men's season. Scoring in the Australia Cup final & getting regular first-team football for one of the best teams in the league. 

We were lucky enough to catch up with Al Hassan to chat about the young talent coming out of Adelaide, having Dwight Yorke as a manager & that celebration in the Cup Final. 

Was it hard for you to leave Adelaide? What's the difference now living in Sydney?

Yeah it was pretty hard decision because it meant I hard to leave family and friends. However, I wasn’t playing much at the time so I felt I had to go. It’s a much bigger city, I hate the driving haha. The traffic is so bad here. A lot of the boys live toward the city, out in Bondi and stuff.

Why do you think theres so many good young players coming out of Adelaide at the moment?

I feel like the reason for this is because Adelaide is a very small city. This made it quite competitive at a young age, we all grew up playing against each other and all having the one dream which is to play for Adelaide United. So it’s amazing to see many players breakthrough and living that dream

How's your brother enjoying his time in France? 

Yeah he’s really good, he’s playing for the youth team at the moment, getting regular football which is the main thing. Hopefully he can make his League 1 debut soon.

What's it like having Dwight Yorke as a manager?

To be honest I didn’t even know who he was when he signed with us haha. I’ve gone back and watched his highlights now, he was amazing. He’s a great coach & character. He also has taught me many things so far and I continue to learn from him everyday

Who are some of your best mates at the club?

I get along with all the boys, I believe that’s what makes a team strong. We have good chemistry on & off the pitch

What's it like playing with someone like Ulises Dávila?

He’s a superstar, you can tell everyday at training how good he is. Also his leadership skills off the pitch, which stood out when I first arrived. That’s why he is one of the best players in the league.

Do you watch much football outside of the A-League?

Yeah I’m a Chelsea fan so I watch them as much as I can, it can be hard with the time difference, my dad got me into it, everyone in my family is Chelsea

What do you like to do in your spare time?

To be honest outside of football I am always thinking of football, as a footballer you never really stop ahah. On my days off I just like to relax. I listen to a fair bit of music, I’ve just started watching Power the tv show so that’s keeping me busy,

What was it like scoring in the Australia Cup Final?

Yeah it was amazing, scoring in the final was awesome. The fans were crazy haha, it made the celebration even better, I didn’t plan to do it, it kinda just happened. 

Were the Sydney United fans something you had spoken about leading up to the game? 

Nah not really, we were just focussed on ourselves, we weren’t aware of the chants or salutes while we were playing, that all came out after.

Do you have any personal goals for the remainder of the season? 

I just want to keep starting games & get as many minutes as I can, I would like to hit the 10-goal mark this season too, if I do that ill be really happy.