Aguero’s early retirement is cruel end to career in which he was denied Messi link-up at Barca or Argentina return

SERGIO AGUERO’S career may be over – but he will be remembered by Manchester City fans for generations to come.

The champions announced in May that they will build a statue to their all-time leading goalscorer which is likely to be unveiled in summer 2022.

Sergio Aguero will be treasured by Manchester City for the rest of time

The prolific striker will be well remembered for scoring the 2012 title-winning goal against QPR

Aguero is Manchester City’s all-time leading goalscorer

The 33-year-old announced a tearful retirement from football at the Nou Camp

It will take its place alongside the tributes to Vincent Kompany and David Silva outside the East Stand of the Etihad.

City’s own ‘Holy Trinity’ will be immortalised forever – and many visitors will tell their kids and grandchildren about Aguero’s astonishing goal-scoring exploits.

Plenty will make a strong case that the Argentine forward – who picked up five title medals – was the club’s greatest ever player.

He scored two on his City debut just minutes after coming off the bench against Swansea in August 2011.

Almost 10 years later, he signed off in the same way – putting all his injury woes behind him to strike twice as a sub against Everton in his final game.

Perfect symmetry and inbetween those two days, he never stopped scoring either.

Rival fans will have hated seeing this celebration of yet ANOTHER Aguero goal

In 390 appearances for City, he scored 260 times. He left as the fourth highest scorer in Prem history – more than any other foreign player coming to these shores.

In terms of goals per minute, he is currently the deadliest marksman in the history of the competition.

And, of course, one of those goals was the Prem’s most famous ever – 92 minutes and 20 seconds into a home game with QPR on the final day of the 2011/2 season.

His final year at City was blighted by injury – and Guardiola took the agonising decision in March that his contract would not be renewed.

Of all the emotional goodbyes the club has had to say to some of its favourites in recent years, this was probably the hardest.

It was an emotional goodbye for Aguero who left Manchester City for Barcelona

Aguero played alongside Lionel Messi for Argentina – but was denied that chance at club level

Aguero took the setback in his stride and had plans for a couple of years in Barcelona – where he hoped he would play alongside his great pal and countryman Lionel Messi.

Then his idea was to return home to Argentina and sign off with his first club Independiente – a move he always promised to make.

Sadly, neither his link up with Messi nor his planned swansong were allowed to happen.

A heart problem – which only surfaced during a game against Alaves on October 30 – has brought a premature end to his glittering career after just five appearances for his new club.

City’s fans still sing his name every week and it was even louder and with more feeling than ever as their team put Leeds to the sword at the Etihad on Tuesday night.

As Sky commentator Martin Tyler said after the Argentine’s last gasp, title-winning goal against QPR: ‘I swear you’ll never see anything like this again’.

The same could be said of Aguero himself. City – and English football – were lucky to have him.

Gracias Sergio. And thanks for the memories.

Aguero’s final ever game came against Alaves, where he had to come off with chest problems

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