Manchester Evening News

Pep: It’s an honour to watch record-breaker

- By TYRONE MARSHALL tyrone.marshall@men-news.co.uk @TyMarshall_MEN

PEP Guardiola hopes Sergio Aguero has many more goals in him for City, but admits a decision over his future at the club will be down to the striker.

Aguero’s hat-trick in City’s 6-1 rout of Aston Villa saw him break Thierry Henry’s record as the leading overseas goalscorer in the Premier League, while his 12th treble in the competitio­n saw him overtake Alan Shearer to claim that record too.

The Argentine is now fourth on the list of all-time top scorers in the history of the Premier League, while he also has 249 goals for City, but his Etihad contract expires at the end of next season and Aguero has often spoken of his desire to finish his playing career back in his home country.

At 31 Aguero has many more years left in him, but Guardiola doesn’t know how much longer City will be able to enjoy his goalscorin­g brilliance.

“It depends on him and the club. It is his decision,” the City boss said of Aguero’s future. “This kind of players there are many in the incredible history of English football, but he is one of them. He helps to make the Premier League better.”

Only Alan Shearer, Wayne Rooney and Andy Cole have scored more Premier League goals than Aguero’s 177 and after he left the Villa Park pitch with the match ball his teammates were quick to congratula­te him. “He’s one of the best [strikers], yeah. No doubt,” Guardiola said. “Congratula­tions to him and all the players congratula­te him too in the locker room.

“To achieve this record of an incredible legend like Titi Henry, it is not just one or two seasons, it is a long period, many, many years. The foreign player with the most goals, the most hat-trick, it speaks for itself.

“It’s an honour to be here the day he achieves that.”

Asked how many more, Guardiola said: “It depends on him. I say many times, he will die scoring goals. It is his talent.”

 ??  ?? Sergio Aguero takes the match ball after his hat-trick at Villa
Sergio Aguero takes the match ball after his hat-trick at Villa

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