Football: Record-breaking Sergio Aguero bids farewell to Etihad Stadium in style

Sergio Aguero said goodbye to the Etihad Stadium for one final time on Sunday as he featured in his very last home game for Manchester City. A decade after joining from Atletico Madrid, Aguero’s contribution to Manchester City was celebrated in fitting style as fans returned to the stadium for the first time in 15 months.

Coming off the bench to a rousing reception, Aguero scored twice to break the Premier League record for most goals scored by any player for one club.

With Everton players and staff providing the guard of honour to Aguero and his fellow title-winning teammates before kick-off, the legendary striker received a standing ovation from 10,000 adoring City supporters as he entered the fray for the final time, before the focus shifted to a first-ever Champions League final next weekend.

Earlier this week, the club unveiled a Sergio-inspired mosaic that will mark his outstanding contribution to Manchester City during his 10-year spell, beside a training pitch dedicated to the Argentinean.

The club had previously revealed that a statue of the City striker has been commissioned to stand alongside those of fellow legends Vincent Kompany and David Silva.

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Aguero sealed his place in the history books at the end of his very first season, when his unforgettable last-gasp winner against Queens Park Rangers clinched the most dramatic title win in Premier League history. His contribution, however, would extend far beyond that extraordinary moment.

15 pieces of domestic silverware would follow during a decade in which Aguero also became the Club’s all-time leading goal-scorer.

A Champions League final awaits next weekend, as the 32-year-old looks to crown his stay with European glory.

A 2014 World Cup finalist, Aguero leaves City with five Premier League medals to his name and as the highest-scoring foreign player ever to feature in the league. His remarkable consistency is reflected by having been named Premier League Player of the Month more than any other player since the inception of the competition [7].

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His haul of honours also includes an FA Cup, secured as part of the historic domestic treble winning season of 2018- 19 and six League Cup titles that make him the joint most decorated player in that competition’s history.

Manchester City chairman, Khaldoon Al Mubarak said: “Sergio will leave nothing short of an indelible mark on Manchester City Football Club. “His rare blend of exceptional talent and understated humility have not only secured him a place in the history books of English football, but in the hearts of every Manchester City supporter across the world.

“His statue will immortalise that legacy forever and pay tribute to a decade in which very few players across world football had as integral an impact as he had here.”