A Toast to A Manchester City Legend at 32

The last decade has witnessed tremendous success at the Etihad Stadium as Manchester City has become a dominant team in England. One of the by-products of that success has been the emergence of legends at the club.

No other name stands out more than Sergio Aguero.

If in doubt, Martin Tyler’s commentary on his title-winning goal against Queens Park Rangers in 2012 should put things into proper perspective.

That goal ended the Citizens’ 44-year wait for a league title while starting a new era of dominance on the pitch. Agueroooo! has become synonymous with the club’s new image as a winning machine.

The Argentine turned 32 on June 2. And it’s only fitting to take a moment to appreciate one of the key characters in the rise of Man City in recent times. From scoring what is arguably the most important goal in the club’s history until now, to winning the Premier League Golden Boot for the 2014/15 campaign, the former Atletico Madrid front man has come a long way. He moved to the Etihad Stadium in 2011 after impressing in Spain and has not disappointed since. Reinventing himself under manager Pep Guardiola, when some thought he was done has been impressive.

He has risen to the heights of becoming Manchester City’s all-time highest goalscorer in his nine years at the club. At the moment, he ranks fourth in the Premier League’s all-time top goalscorers list. But he sits atop the list of top non-English scorers in the history of the division. Call him Mr. Prolific and you’re right. But more importantly, he has been City’s Mr. Dependable. He has played a significant role in the club’s success from 2012 till date.

The journey to new heights of achievements for the club began in 2008 with the takeover by the Abu Dhabi Group. But players like Aguero, David Silva, Vincent Kompany and Yaya Toure have been standout performers that have etched their names in the hearts of City faithful and on the sands of time.

What remains is success on the continental stage and both Aguero and Silva have been talking about their desire to win the Champions League with City. The club was looking good to go all the way in the competition this season before the coronavirus pandemic forced a halt to the campaign. Fortunately, things are getting back to normal and that should see action resume both on the domestic scene and on the continent.

It remains to be seen how the absence of fans in the stands will affect the team’s performance. But if the determination from the players is anything to go by, the time to make a statement on the continent is here.

As Aguero clocks 32, his time at City is gradually coming to an end. Not just yet though, as his current contract runs until the summer of 2021. There’s no move to extend the deal at the moment so it’s not clear if he will stay longer. The man has spoken severally about his desire to return home to boyhood club Independiente to finish his career there.

Hopefully, he gets to crown his stay in England with the Champions League triumph before leaving. That will definitely bring things full circle for both player and club.

For now though, all we can say is take a bow Kun as you enjoy your new age.

We love you and appreciate your time and the beautiful moments we’ve shared so far.