By Phil Haigh

Copyright metro

Sergio Aguero came up against the world’s best defenders (Picture: Getty Images)

Manchester City legend Sergio Aguero remembers two legendary Premier League centre-backs as the toughest opponents of his career.

The Argentinian spent 10 seasons with Manchester City, scoring an incredible 260 goals in 390 games across all competitions.

His Premier League record was immense, with 184 goals in 275 outings, winning five titles along the way.

Most defenders in England struggled to deal with the prolific striker, but he didn’t like coming up against two opponents in particular.

The 37-year-old, who retired early due to health issues in 2021, remembers Manchester United’s Rio Ferdinand as his toughest test.

Liverpool captain Virgil van Dijk also stands out to Aguero as a hugely difficult challenge to overcome.

‘I’d say Ferdinand was my toughest opponent,’ Aguero told Stake. ‘He’s the full package as a centre-back, someone I’ve always had to watch out for.

Aguero rated Rio Ferdinand very highly (Picture: Getty Images)

‘As for my later seasons, that’d be Van Dijk. A fantastic sprinter, with a lot of personality in the way he played. And quite hard to outmanoeuvre.

‘He’d stare me down and the second I’d make a move, Van Dijk would match me and steal the position.

‘I think the two of them are stellar defenders and among the best the Premier League has had.’

Virgil van Dijk has been one of the best in the Premier League for years (Picture: Getty Images)

Aguero spent more time at Manchester City than any other club in his career, but also came up against top defenders in Spain, where he played for Atletico Madrid for five seasons, and at international level.

The striker scored 41 goals for Argentina in an international career which lasted 15 years and saw him win 101 caps.

The feeling of respect and admiration is mutual between Aguero and Ferdinand, with the former Manchester United star paying a great tribute to the forward when he left City in 2021.

Sergio Aguero Premier League stats

Apps: 275

Assists: 47

‘He is one of the hardest strikers I have ever marked,’ wrote Ferdinand on social media. ‘So elusive, so quick, strong, two feet capable of hitting the ball cleanly with, great movement and a clear belief that he will score that seeps out through his paws [sic]!

‘When a striker can face you up and comfortably go both ways (left or right) it’s a BIG problem for a defender.

‘He was direct once he had the ball and and his 1st thought was how do I get a yard to create space to shoot – so as a defender he always had you on the edge and you had to have total concentration to make sure you knew where he was at all times. Deadly.

‘Rivalries put to one side for a moment, Sergio Aguero is one of the best PL strikers of all time no doubts.’