Blues have their eyes on the prize
City/Pages 36-39
SERGIO Aguero will go down as one of the greatest players in Premier League history.
Gary Lineker and Alan Shearer were among the greats in the game to pay tribute to his career in English football when the news was announced this week that he will be leaving Manchester City this summer after a prolific 10 years at the club.
City fans are blessed to have so many iconic moments of Aguero on the pitch, including the 94th-minute winner against QPR to secure their first ever Premier League title in 2012 and the terrific goal against Liverpool in 2019 that helped turn that campaign back in the favour of Pep Guardiola’s team.
Aguero’s appeal is so much more to Blues than his goals though, as supporters appreciate a foreign talent who has settled in Manchester and shown nothing but love for both the team and everyone who follows them. While his goals will get the bulk of the headlines in any tributes, it is worth remembering the personality of a character who has so regularly put a smile on the face of teammates and supporters and - as his statement said “formed an indestructible bond” with them.
■ STANDING UP TO THE POLICE FOR A FAN
Raheem Sterling’s last-minute winner at Bournemouth on a sunny August weekend on the south coast sparked jubilant scenes as fans and players celebrated together wildly.
Too wildly for the officials. Sterling was sent off for celebrating with the supporters while police and stewards stepped in to break up the happiness and Aguero intervened when he spotted something he didn’t like.
“I saw that they had got hold of one of our fans, four against one, and were practically smothering him. It was outright abuse. The guy couldn’t breathe,” he said in the book Pep’s City .
“Then this cop starts giving me a hard time, so I tell him to f*** off. Nothing more serious than that. “It’s the way I grew up and I can’t help reacting like that. Back home there’s a code: if there’s a fight and it’s one on one, you stay out of it, but when it’s one against four ... That’s how I grew up and it’s something I still live by.”
The fan, student Zack Weir, was charged with entering the field of play but no evidence was offered against him and the case was dropped six months later. Aguero was accused of assaulting a steward, but the matter was quickly dropped by Bournemouth and labelled a “misunderstanding”.
■ MEETING A TERMINALLY ILL BALLBOY
Elliott Fernandez-Sanz played his own small part in City’s dramatic victory over QPR in 2012 as he was the quick-thinking ballboy that rushed to put the ball next to the corner flag as the Blues trailed 2-1 approaching extra time. It flew onto Edin Dzeko’s head and the comeback was on.
Tragedy struck for Elliott when he was suddenly diagnosed with sarcoma cancer, leaving him on life support. While undergoing chemotherapy in 2016, he got his wish of meeting his hero Aguero along with manager Pep Guardiola and soon after defied the doctors as he walked out onto the Etihad pitch.
“I feel really honoured to meet him, such a nice guy,” Elliott said of Aguero. “He’s every City fan’s favourite player, isn’t he? Obviously what he did against QPR to win the league in such dramatic fashion and he’s an amazing player. I think you can tell that he’s such a nice guy, down to earth.”
■ TROLLING UNITED AHEAD OF A DERBY
While filming a commercial for PUMA in 2017 ahead of the Manchester derby, Aguero was asked to name one United player he would have at City.
A grin comes to the striker’s face as he weighs up the question, considers his answer, before responding in Spanish that he would prefer no-one. He then repeats his answer in English, just to be even clearer.
An answer that went down extremely well with Blues at the time and is still fondly remembered.
■ HELPING KIDS DURING THE PANDEMIC
As the pandemic paralysed the nation, Aguero was one of the stars across the country that came together to help out with the schools shut. The City striker signed up to the BBC Bitesize programme for homeschooling, helping kids to learn numbers in Spanish.
And when the players stepped up to help the club ensure every child in East Manchester got a Christmas gift, Aguero went one step further and hand-delivered presents to a primary school.
“We really appreciate the gifts from Manchester City and the surprise visit from Sergio, the children were very excited!” said Louise Thewlis, deputy head at Ravensbury Primary School.
■ SIGNING SHIRTS AFTER A NUMBER SWITCH
Aguero left supporters in the lurch when he changed from his old No.16 to the No.10 shirt months after the kits had come out for the 2015/16 season. However, anyone that had already bought a jersey with his old number on had the option of either exchanging it for the new number or of getting their shirt personally signed by Aguero. A small gesture, but a classy one.
He’s every City fan’s favourite player, isn’t he? He’s an amazing player
Tragic ballboy Elliott Fernandez-Sanz