Yaya Toure now insists that reports over him being upset about Manchester City not acknowledging his birthday properly last May were meant as a joke.
Toure had initially claimed that statement to be true, fuelling speculation over his future at the Etihad.
"There was a lot of speculation about birthday cakes and rubbish like that," Toure told BBC’s Football Focus. "It was disappointing for me because a little joke became serious.
"I've been in Manchester for four years now and I have never demanded a birthday cake.
"I was quite surprised about the way people reacted to that and how seriously they took it. I’m a father. I have a few kids and sometimes I miss their birthday. I don’t care about my birthday."