Man City Unveils Agüero Statue on 10th Anniversary of Title-Winning Goal

MANCHESTER, England (AP) — Manchester City unveiled a statue of Sergio Agüero 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 on Friday as City honored its record goal-scorer with a statue that depicts the moment when Agüero 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,” Agüero 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.”

Martin Rickett/PA Images/Imago Images

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

The 33-year-old Agüero switched to Barcelona last offseason but retired in December because of a heart problem.

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

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