Man City unveil statue honouring record-scorer Aguero

MANCHESTER, England (AP):

Manchester City unveiled a statue of Sergio Aguero on the 10th anniversary of the retired striker’s dramatic stoppage-time goal that clinched the club’s first Premier League title.

The Argentine was back at the Etihad Stadium yesterday as City honoured their record goalscorer with a statue that depicts the moment when Aguero ripped his shirt off in celebration after scoring against Queens Park Rangers on the final day of the 2011-12 season.

“Truthfully, it is a very beautiful thing for me, to see myself 10 years ago is very moving,” Aguero said. “In those 10 years, I was able to win a lot of trophies and was able to help the club become one of the most important in the world ... . It is something very special.”

City won five league titles with Aguero and are on the verge of another one. Aguero scored a club-record 260 goals for City and was a key player in the growth of the team as a major football force. Before 2012, City had not won England’s top tier since 1968.

The 33-year-old Aguero switched to Barcelona last off season but retired in December because of a heart problem.

The statue joins similar tributes to Aguero’s former teammates Vincent Kompany and David Silva, already installed outside the stadium.

It was sculpted by Philadelphia-based Scottish artist Andy Scott.