Sergio Agüero

Sergio Leonel Agüero del Castillo (born 2 June 1988), also known as Kun Agüero, is an Argentine former professional footballer who played as a striker. He is regarded as one of the best strikers of his generation and one of the greatest players in the history of the Premier League. He played for Manchester City from 2011 to 2021 and is the club's all-time top goalscorer and holds the record for most Premier League hat-tricks, with 12.

Agüero began his career at the Argentine club Independiente where, on 5 July 2003, he became the youngest player to play in the Argentine Primera División at 15 years and 35 days, breaking the 27 year record previously set by future father-in-law Diego Maradona. In 2006, Agüero moved to La Liga club Atlético Madrid in a transfer worth €23 million, establishing himself as one of the world's best young players and one of the most prolific players in La Liga, winning the Don Balón, the Golden Boy, and the World Soccer Young Player of the Year. Agüero also won the UEFA Europa League and the UEFA Super Cup while in Madrid.

Agüero signed for Premier League club Manchester City in 2011 in a transfer for a reported fee of £35 million. During his 10 years at the club, he won five league titles, notably scoring a last minute winner in the final league game of his debut season to win the club its first league title in 44 years. Further honours with the club include a record six EFL Cups and an FA Cup; he was also part of the club's first UEFA Champions League final. Agüero won a Premier League Golden Boot and was twice included in the PFA Team of the Year. He is the sixth all-time Premier League goalscorer and the second highest non-English scorer in the competition, with 184 goals. He held the record for the most Premier League goals scored by a player for any single club until it was overtaken by Harry Kane in 2022. In 2021, he joined Barcelona on a free transfer, before retiring from football aged 33 due to heart problems in the same year. He played just four matches for the club, with his only goal coming in the first El Clásico of the 2021–22 season.

At international level, Agüero represented the Argentina under-20 team as they won the 2005 and 2007 FIFA U-20 World Cups. He played at the 2008 Olympics, scoring two goals in the semi-final against Brazil as Argentina won gold. Agüero is Argentina's third-highest all-time top goalscorer and has earned over 100 caps, representing the senior team at three FIFA World Cups (in 2010, 2014 and 2018) and five Copas América (in 2011, 2015, 2016, 2019 and 2021), winning the Copa América in 2021.

Club career

Independiente

Sergio Agüero joined the youth system of Independiente at the age of nine. He started playing for the side, becoming the youngest player to debut in the first division at 15 years and 35 days (on 5 July 2003 against Club Atlético San Lorenzo de Almagro), when Independiente's coach, Oscar Ruggeri sent Agüero onto the field as a substitute for Emanuel Rivas in the 69th minute of the match. His performance was well received by the press. Despite his early debut, he was not selected again by Ruggeri, and his replacement Osvaldo Sosa, for the remainder of 2002–03 season, having made only one appearance in the Torneo Clausura. Following the arrival of coach Jose Omar Pastoriza, seven months after Agüero's first match he returned to the club's first-team in 4–2 win against Peru's Cienciano during the group stages of the 2004 Copa Libertadores. This meant that he also became the youngest player to participate in the Copa Libertadores, a record that he held for three years. One month later, Agüero again featured in a Copa Libertadores fixture against Ecuador's El Nacional. On 19 June, for the first time, Agüero played a full 90-minute match for Independiente against Atlético de Rafaela during the Torneo Clausura. He scored his first goal for Independiente in a 2–2 draw against Estudiantes on 26 November, with a 22nd minute shot from outside the penalty area. Agüero became a regular in the club's first-team, being selected for the Argentina U-20 squad for the 2005 FIFA U-20 World Cup, which Argentina won.

During the 2005–06 season, Agüero scored 18 goals in 36 league appearances, having missed two games due to suspension. In a 4–0 win against Racing Club on 11 September, he dribbled from inside of his own half and scored Independiente's fourth goal with a left footed shot. His first red card came in the Torneo Apertura, after slapping an opponent in a match against Tiro Federal. His outstanding performances during the Torneo Apertura attracted interest from a number of large European clubs, and, after months of speculation, Agüero announced on TV in April that he intended to leave the club at the end of the season. Before the end of the season, there had already been speculation of a possible transfer to Atlético Madrid. With his performances being lauded by the press, there was talk of a possible call up for Agüero for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. In a 2–0 away victory against Olimpo de Bahia Blanca in round 17 of the Torneo Clausura, Agüero received his fifth yellow card of the season. This prevented him from playing his last game for Independiente in a fixture against Boca Juniors in Avellaneda one week later. The yellow card brought tears to his eyes, as television cameras recorded. Agüero, who scored Independiente's second goal of the match later said "I think that it was my last goal for Independiente". He played his last game for Independiente, two weeks later, in a 2–0 away defeat to Rosario Central. On 30 May, Agüero officially transferred to Atlético Madrid for €20 million, marking a record for the club.

Atlético Madrid

2006–09: Transfer and fast rise to stardom

In May 2006, Agüero joined Spanish club Atlético Madrid for a fee reported to be around €20 million, breaking the club's previous transfer record. He caused controversy early in his Atlético career by using his hands to score the winning goal against Recreativo Huelva on 14 October 2006, only his second goal for the club, with the first coming in a 4–1 away win against Athletic Bilbao on 17 September. He ended his first season in Madrid with seven goals in all competitions, eased into European football by manager Javier Aguirre, who opted to bring him in and out of the line-up as Atlético finished seventh, enough to qualify for the UEFA Intertoto Cup.

Following the departure of strike partner Fernando Torres to Liverpool in the summer of 2007, Agüero secured his starting spot for the Rojiblancos and soon became arguably the team's most important player at the age of just 19. In the 2007–08 season, he finished third highest scorer in La Liga, behind Dani Güiza and Luís Fabiano, with 19 goals, and was runner up in the Trofeo Alfredo Di Stéfano award. Agüero won many plaudits for his man of the match display against Barcelona in March 2008, scoring twice, assisting a goal and winning a penalty for Atlético in a 4–2 win. He also scored important goals against the likes of Real Madrid, Valencia, Sevilla and Villarreal to help Atlético finish fourth and qualify for the UEFA Champions League for the first time in over ten years.

Agüero was once again a regular goalscorer for Atlético in the 2008–09 season, continuing to establish a lethal partnership with Uruguayan striker Diego Forlán, also a former Independiente player. On 16 September, he scored his first Champions League goals in a 3–0 away win at PSV Eindhoven, helping Atlético eventually reach the last 16 of the competition. In March 2009, Forlán and Agüero each scored a brace in a 4–3 win over league leaders Barcelona, the latter scoring the winning goal in the match's final minutes. With the help of more vital goals in a formidable end of the season run-in from his team, Agüero finished in the top ten contenders for the Pichichi Trophy, which was won by his teammate Forlán. Atlético finished fourth in the league, qualifying for the following season's Champions League.

2009–11: UEFA Europa League win and departure

Despite not being as prolific in front of goal, Agüero had another good season in 2009–10, and was praised for his influential performances as Atlético enjoyed their most successful season in over a decade. On 3 November 2009, he scored twice against Chelsea during a 2–2 draw in the Champions League at the Vicente Calderón. Atlético were knocked out of the competition, but went on to reach the final of the 2009–10 UEFA Europa League, where Agüero assisted both goals in a 2–1 extra time win against English club Fulham. He also helped Atlético reach the final of the Copa del Rey, although this time they were not victorious, losing to Sevilla in the Camp Nou on 19 May.