'Sh*t, I'm so bad' - Sergio Aguero opens up on heartbreaking 'drowning' feeling in his final professional game for Barcelona before retirement & explains why he refused to take Lionel Messi's iconic No.10 shirt

Aguero announced he was hanging up his boots at the age of 33 after being diagnosed with a heart condition. The striker suffered chest pains and dizziness while playing for Barcelona against Alaves in La Liga in a match which turned out to be his final appearance as a professional. Aguero has now spoken about the game and revealed how he felt before the match was stopped and he was able to receive medical attention.

He told Juan Pablo Varsky for Clank Media: “I felt like I was drowning, I didn’t feel pain. I had a lot of pressure in my head. I figured it was because I was physically ill and I thought: 'Shit, I’m so bad.'

"I jumped for a header. They went to counter and I started to get dizzy. I felt like I was going to faint and I wanted to calm down. I wanted to say something and the words didn’t come out. I grabbed the hand of the Alaves captain as if to say: 'Stop the game.' He started screaming and they stopped the game.

"When I calmed down, I felt like my heart started beating faster. That’s where the arrhythmia attack caught me. A week before it had happened to me in training but it had only been for 20 seconds.”

Aguero also revealed why he opted to take the No. 19 shirt shirt when he moved to Barcelona in 2021, rather than the 10 left vacant after Lionel Messi's shock exit.

“When Leo left Barcelona, they offered me the number 10 shirt and I said no. Not because I didn’t want it. I thought he was going to come back," he added. "They told me that I was the only one that could use it but for me, the number 10 belongs to Leo. Lastly, if he is not there, don’t use it.”

Aguero was taken to hospital after the Alaves match and then ruled out for three months by Barcelona. He subsequently confirmed he would be retiring at an emotional press conference. The striker has since been able to return to the pitch, playing in the seven-side Kings League tournament organised by former Barcelona team-mate Gerard Pique. Aguero has even encouraged his good friend Messi to join his team at some point in the future.

Aguero continues to be involved in football and shares a close friendship with Messi. He joined the Argentina squad at their base camp before the 2022 World Cup in Qatar and made sure he was involved in their celebrations after victory at the tournament. Aguero has also managed to tempt Messi to join him as a co-owner of his KRU Esports team.