Sergio Aguero brought his spectacular career to an emotional end five years ago, but the former Manchester City striker has no regrets about his life away from the pitch.
For a decade, Aguero was one of the Premier League’s best strikers, becoming City’s all-time leading goalscorer before he was forced into retirement shortly after joining Barcelona in 2021.
But with the dust having settled on his glittering career, he is completely content to watch the action, rather than be in the thick of it.
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Aguero on calling time on his career.
“It’s five years now since I retired, but luckily I don’t miss playing,” he admits to FourFourTwo.
“I do sometimes think ‘Well, it would be nice to go and play for a bit’, but no, it’s not like I’m anxious about it.”
For almost two decades, Aguero played at the highest level in Argentina, Spain and then England, while also earning 101 caps for his country. Despite competing at the apex of the sport, he has found the transition to retirement surprisingly easy.
“I’m retired, I’m very comfortable, I do things I enjoy and have a great time,” he continues before giving an insight into what his post-playing days involve.
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“At the World Cup, I worked as an ambassador for FIFA Hospitality, and I was very happy about that, because I was treated very well.
“Today I enjoy watching good games, and it’s not a problem that I don’t go on to the pitch any more.”
His relationship to City also endures, even if he is not a regular at the Etihad.
“I still run into a lot of Manchester City fans around the world, too,” he says. “Some aren’t from England, they’re from other countries and support City, but I’ve also met many English fans in various places, too – even in Argentina.
“Once, I was having dinner, and there were two English people who supported Manchester City, and they were very happy to see me! Wherever I am in the world, City fans treat me well, and it’s the same whenever I go to Manchester, even though I don’t go there often now.
“I’m always thrilled to be with my people.”
For more than a decade, Joe Mewis has worked in football journalism as a reporter and editor. Mewis has had stints at Mirror Football and LeedsLive among others and worked at FourFourTwo throughout Euro 2024, reporting on the tournament. In addition to his journalist work, Mewis is also the author of four football history books that include times on Leeds United and the England national team. Now working as a digital marketing coordinator at Harrogate Town, too, Mewis counts some of his best career moments as being in the iconic Spygate press conference under Marcelo Bielsa and seeing his beloved Leeds lift the Championship trophy during lockdown.
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