Veteran striker Sergio Aguero’s remarkable career came to an end following cardiac and respiratory difficulties.
The 33-year-old announced the decision in a press conference on Wednesday where he was accompanied by family members, Barcelona president and members of Manchester City, Atletico Madrid and Argentina.
‘This conference is to communicate that I have decided to stop playing professional football,” tearful Aguero said. “It is a very difficult moment. The decision I have made, I have taken it for my health.”
Read More: Covid-hit Chelsea held by Wolves as Man City top Christmas charts
On October 30, Aguero fell to the turf, holding his chest while in discomfort as club medics rushed on.
After a lengthy spell of treatment on the pitch, Aguero was able to stand up and walk out of action, the striker was then swiftly sent for cardiological tests.
The club said after he underwent heart tests in November that Aguero would be unavailable for the next three months while the effectiveness of treatment was evaluated.
“That is the main reason for my decision, for the problem I had a month and a half ago. I was in good hands of the medical staff that have done their best and told me that the best thing would be to stop playing,” said Barca forward. “I made that decision a week ago but I did everything possible to have some hope but there wasn’t very much. I’m very proud of the career I’ve had. I’m very happy. I always dreamt about playing football.”
Read More: Milik hat-trick gives Marseille win in French Cup
Barcelona President Joan Laporta promises the forward all the support that he will need from the club. “You have all our support and anything you need from your condition you can have it,” he said. “For all the clubs, everywhere you’ve played, you’ve achieved so much.”
Following his announcement, the former Argentina international received praise from his former teammates and opponents who expressed their gratitude to one of the best forwards of his generation.
https://twitter.com/DeBruyneKev/status/1471089668779298834
Kevin de Bruyne (Manchester City)
https://twitter.com/FranckRibery/status/1471104109231149057
Franck Ribéry (Salernitana)
https://twitter.com/JohnTerry26/status/1471091772675825666
John Terry (Former Chelsea player)
https://twitter.com/VincentKompany/status/1471102902047547394
Vincent Kompany (Former Manchester City player)
https://twitter.com/alanshearer/status/1471086913054457856
Alan Shearer (Former Newcastle player)
https://twitter.com/leroy_sane/status/1471105981769830400
Leroy Sane (Bayern Munich)
https://twitter.com/JamesMilner/status/1471106760857604101
James Milner (Liverpool)
https://twitter.com/elgalgojonas/status/1471104979947585537
Jonas Gutierrez (Former Newcastle player)
https://twitter.com/IlkayGuendogan/status/1471104601084637195
Ilkay Gündogan (Manchester City)
Aguero’s glorious career path
Sergio Kun Aguero has been termed by many as one of the most fiercest strikers to have played the game in the 21st century.
He was always highly-rated ever since his early playing days but his first big move came in the
2006-2007 season when he joined Spanish La Liga outfit Atletico Madrid for a reported fee of € 21.7 million.
Aguero was a sensation in Spain’s first division where he stayed five years and scored 74 times along with four assists in 175 games.
His performance gained Manchester City’s attraction who then signed him for a reported fee of £40 million.
Read More: German lower league match abandoned due to racism
From 2011 to the 2021 season, Aguero went on to become a legend in the club’s history scoring 260 goals along with 73 assists, which included 16 hat-tricks, in just 390 games in all competitions.
While doing that, he also became the fourth-highest goal scorer in the history of the Premier League with 184 goals to his name, behind only Alan Shearer (260), Wayne Rooney (208), and Andrew Cole (187).
However, no other player has a better minutes-per-goal ratio in the England’s top division than the former Atletico striker.
He achieved the milestone of highest goalscoring player in the history of Premier League during the match against Aston Villa in January 2020.
Read More: Denmark’s Eriksen leaves Inter Milan ‘by mutual consent’
He also won the Golden Boot award in the 2014-15 season after scoring 26 goals and providing seven assists in 33 appearances in the league competition.
Aguero will be remembered for arguably one of the iconic goals in club football when in 2011-12 he scored a 94th-minute winner to hand City their first title in the Premier League era and a first top-flight trophy since 1968.
His time at Manchester City came to an end in the summer of 2021 when he left the club as a free agent and joined Spanish La Liga giants FC Barcelona.
However, Aguero only managed to represent the Catalan giants in five matches, scoring a solitary goal which came against arch-rivals Real Madrid .
