KUALA LUMPUR, 8 July – “Wherever I go, people talk about it,” said Malaysia international Sergio Aguero. The 30-year-old striker is, of course, referring to how he coincidentally shares a name with the former Argentina and Manchester City superstar.
Both men were born in Argentina and have led the line for their respective teams’ attacks.
Sergio Fabian Ezequiel Aguero, a naturalised Malaysian international born in La Rioja, Argentina, admits there is frequent ribbing from fans.
“It happens all the time with people joking with me about my namesake,” Aguero told FIFA.
As a youngster growing up in Argentina, Aguero discovered his passion for football by admiring and drawing inspiration from two of the country’s biggest stars.
“My two biggest idols, role models and sources of inspiration are Juan Roman Riquelme and Lionel Messi. I’m constantly studying their playing styles and trying to imitate all their moves. But it’s definitely not easy, because we’re talking about two giants of the game,” he was quoted saying.
Aguero’s journey has certainly been unique. After playing youth football in his homeland with River Plate and All Boys, he signed his first professional contract in 2015 with Hungarian club Tatabanyai.
He lasted just one season in Eastern Europe until fate took him halfway around the world to Malaysia, the country he now calls home and was proud to become a citizen of in 2022.
”I’ve been living and playing in Malaysia for almost eight years, and my wife and I have two children who were born here,” the Sri Pahang player told Fifa.
“We’re happy here and love Malaysia and its people. So when the opportunity arose to become a Malaysian citizen and represent the national team, it was a dream come true and a very easy decision to make.
”It’s wonderful to represent the country I love. Every time I get a call-up, it is a dream come true and I can’t explain the happiness that comes with it. I’ll always be delighted to wear the Malaysian jersey and will give my all for this country,” he reportedly said.
Aguero’s debut for Harimau Malaya was a friendly against Cambodia on December 9, 2022.
His first goal for his country came 15 days later in an AFF Championship game against Laos.
Aguero, 30, hopes that his drive and experience will continue to help the development of football in Malaysia.
“I have benefitted from playing in Argentina, Italy, Hungary and Malaysia. Hopefully, in the future, I can help this country to develop its football with the experience I’ve gained from players, coaches and staff with their own World Cup experience.
"In addition, I’m also pursuing my coaching licences in Malaysia and Argentina to prepare for the future,” revealed Aguero.
