Irish Daily Mirror

CITY LEGEND SERGIO PLOTS SHOCK RETURN

- BY SIMON MULLOCK

SERGIO AGUERO has revealed that he is trying to regain his fitness in a bid to make a comeback – more than a year after being forced to retire from the game with a heart condition.

The former Manchester City striker is dreaming of once again playing for his first club Independie­nte after having a run-out in the Kings League, an indoor seven-a-side tournament (above) in Spain set up by his former Barcelona team-mate Gerard Pique.

Aguero, 34, has not featured in a senior game since being rushed to hospital with chest pains during Barca’s 1-1 La Liga draw with Alaves in October 2021. He announced he was hanging up his boots for good the following month after being diagnosed with cardiac arrhythmia.

But the former Argentina star enjoyed kick-abouts with friends in Qatar while watching his country win the World Cup (Aguero, below, celebratin­g with Lionel Messi).

And after taking up the offer of playing for Kunisports in the Kings League, he has started stepping up his fitness regime in a bid to play at least one more time.

Aguero, speaking during an interview with BSC TV, said: “I have to get physically fit and if I hold out for six months… let’s wait.

“There are several clubs that want me. If I’m well, I would play for Independie­nte, clearly. At least I would have a farewell game.”

Aguero featured in just five games for Barca after joining them on a free from City in the summer of 2021.

His dream of playing the final years of his career alongside best friend Messi at the Nou Camp was wrecked when the Catalan club were forced to sell the Argentina captain to Paris Saint-germain that same summer.

Then, a week after scoring his first goal for his new club in a 2-1 defeat by Real Madrid, he collapsed on the pitch clutching his chest.

Aguero, who has clocked up more Premier League goals than any other foreign player, was honoured with a statue outside the Etihad for his brilliant service to City and his status as the club’s record goalscorer.

He won five Premier League titles, six EFL Cups and the FA Cup during a decade in Manchester after being signed from Atletico Madrid for £38million in the summer of 2011.

He started his career with

Buenos Aires club Independie­nte and scored 23 goals in 56 appearance­s after making his debut for them as a 15-year-old.

 ?? ??
 ?? ??

Newspapers in English

Newspapers from Ireland