CAIRO – Being a devout Muslim, Manchester City’s superstar Yaya Toure has asserted that he prefers to stay in home as a family man, to avoid unwanted distraction from female fans.

“I hide. In order to escape them you have to change your phone number regularly as they’ve all got good contacts. But you can’t live without a phone as there are things to deal with every day,” Toure told an Ivorian magazine, Sunday People reported.

“Sometimes I wonder what’s going through girls’ heads. It’s embarrassing.

The devout Muslim footballer is happily married to wife Gineba. Yet, this did not deter fans from following him.

“There was one who openly courted me. It was really shocking! She asked for my phone number and I gave her a wrong number in order to get away from her,” he said.

“I escape from them. I’m married. My wife is enough for me. I like peace and that’s my way of living,” he added.

On the other hand, Toure said he prefers to avoid crowds, stay home and listen to classical music.

“I’m very much a stay-at-home person. I like classical music. I don’t want to tire my spirit listening to loud music,” he added.

Toure, named by Eurosport in 2005 as one of the most promising young players in the world, is one of the Premier League’s superstars.

Gifted in holding and protecting the ball, he excels also in long, short and direct passes.

Last season, the midfielder scored 20 Premier League goals as City won the title.

In difficult situations, Toure is distinguished by his ability to make forward runs, earning him the nickname “box-to-box” player.

He had previously played for Spain’s giant FC Barcelona.

From the first moment of joining FC Barcelona, he made no secret about his religion, insisting there was no contradiction between being a successful footballer and a devout Muslim.