The 33-year-old was taken to hospital after experiencing chest pains and breathing difficulties during Barcelona’s 1-1 draw with Alaves in October and was subsequently ruled out of action for three months following a cardiac arrhythmia diagnosis.
He has now decided to call time on his extraordinarily successful and storied career.
City Chairman Khaldoon Al Mubarak sent a special message to Sergio to mark the Argentine’s retirement, saying: “The facts speak for themselves - Sergio is quite simply the most ruthless striker in the history of the Premier League. It is extraordinary that his statistics, more reflective of two careers, are in fact those of a player whose time in the game was cut short.
“His impact lives not only in the club that we are today, but in the club that we will be for many years to come. He has earned the adoration of the City family, and the respect of the football family the World over.”
Aguero left City this summer to join Barcelona, bringing the curtain down on an incredible 10 years at the Etihad that had seen him become an icon of the game.
One of the most decorated and respected footballers to wear a City shirt, Aguero scored a remarkable 260 goals in 390 games, making him the Club’s greatest ever goalscorer.
He is widely regarded as one of the finest players of the Premier League era and is the competition’s most lethal goalscorer in terms of goals scored per minutes played.
Indeed, he is the highest scoring overseas player in Premier League history – and in January 2020 he overtook Alan Shearer to set the record for the most Premier League hat-tricks after registering his 12th treble away at Aston Villa.
In total, he won 15 major trophies during his time at City, including five Premier League titles, one FA Cup and a record six League Cups.
In March the Chairman revealed that a statue of Sergio would be commissioned to honour his unrivalled contribution to Manchester City. This sculpture, which will stand alongside those of Vincent Kompany and David Silva outside the Etihad Stadium, will be unveiled next year.
His legendary impact was also marked by the installation of dedicated and permanent mosaic at the City Football Academy.
Everyone at Manchester City would like to wish Sergio all the best in his retirement and to thank him once more for the incredible contribution he made to our football club during his ten years here.
Revisit our Gracias, Sergio content from this summer to celebrate the career of one of this Club’s greatest ever players.
WATCH ALL OF SERGIO’S 260 GOALS
SERGIO MURAL UNVEILED IN MANCHESTER
