Sergio Aguero – The Last Of Manchester City’s Old Guard

It had to happen one day.

But that doesn’t make Monday night’s announcement any easier to digest.

Sergio Aguero, record goal scorer and scourge of Premier League defences will leave the blues after ten glorious years at the club. The striker has been pivotal in City’s success since his arrival from Atletico Madrid in 2011, shattering City’s record goal scoring record and securing his place as a blue legend.

He is the last of the old guard that took City from wannabes to champions, along with David Silva, Vincent Kompany, Pablo Zabaleta and Yaya Toure and Joe Hart. These five players were the heart and soul of City’s team that brought them the league title in 2012 and 2014 and League and FA Cup success.

Slowly over the last few years, the five have been replaced.

Hart was the first to leave the club when Pep Guardiola arrived. The Catalan wanted a keeper who was good with his feet and Hart sadly didn’t fit the bill. The signing from Shrewsbury Town had been City’s number one during Sven Goran Eriksson’s reign, but lost the shirt when Shay Given arrived the following January. Hart won the spot back under Roberto Mancini and kept hold of it until the arrival of Guardiola.

Pablo Zabaleta followed after 9 years at City. During his time, he became one of the most popular figures in the City line up and a firm favourite with the fans. Zabba was known for his tough tackling and powerful runs forward, and it was his goal against QPR that took City (eventually) to the title. With both Aguero and Carlos Tevez on the pitch, it was the ‘other Argentine’ who showed the way and settled City’s first half nerves.

Yaya Toure followed in 2018. Having spent 8 years at City, the powerful Ivorian was the driving force in City’s midfield, and blues fans will remember him well for his goals in the 2011 FA Cup semi final and final, which brought silverware to the club for the first time since 1976. His two goals at Newcastle in May 2012 were vital in securing City’s first title win since 1968.

It was the day after City’s 6-0 FA Cup Final win over Watford at Wembley that Vincent Kompany announced he was leaving the club. The Belgian legend had become the first top flight captain to lift the league title, FA Cup and League Cup and the same season, as well as the Community Shield as the Fourmidables made a domestic clean sweep. His passion and desire to put City at the top has earned him legendary status amongst the fans, and it was his goal against United in 2012 that gave the blues hope of winning the title.

Prior to the 2019/20 season came the news that the mercurial genius, David Silva, AKA Merlin, or, as he was affectionately known amongst the faithful as Spanish Dave, announced his intention to leave the blues at the end of the season. It was ten years since Silva arrived in Manchester and was a constant thorn in the sides of Premier League defences.

And now Aguero will be joining them as part of the elite that brought City so much success. An amazing haul of goals, there was now a Premier League side that he didn’t score against. But not only that, he defied the pundits to become one of the best strikers the Premier League has ever seen. It was Charlie Nicholas who said that Aguero ‘isn’t value for money’ on the eve of the 2011/12 season, while Oliver Holt said that, while Aguero would be the highest profile signing of the summer, Charlie Adam’s move to Liverpool would be the best. Ten years, 384 appearance and 257 goals later proved both completely wrong.

It will be a sad, emotional day when Aguero leaves but one of my Twitter followers, The Ginger Wig, sums it up beautifully with these simple words:

“Don’t be sad that it’s over. Be glad that we saw it.”