SERGIO AGUERO

The first time I met Leo Messi, I didn't know who he was, only that I couldn't believe the boots he was wearing. But he is like a brother to me. It was at the start of 2005, when I was with the Argentine under-17 squad and I saw him chatting with Ezequiel Garay and some other players about the boots he'd brought back from the U.S.A.

I'm often asked where my nickname 'Kun' comes from. My parents says it was a Japanese cartoon I used to watch on television when I was very young, set in the Stone Age, where the main character was a boy called Kum Kum, the little caveman.

There were days when my father didn't have money for food, and we slept hoping the next day something could be got from work.

When I moved from Independiente to Atletico Madrid, I was only 18, and I found it hard to adapt. But what surprised me most about moving to England was how fast the game was. I like it, but it is so quick.

I'm adapting quite well to English football with the same will I've always had.

I like it in Manchester. I thought it was going to be much colder, but it is not too bad. And my wife and son are happy here, too.

I like tricks; I like to dazzle. Dribbling and leaving your opponent on his backside is what life is for. If I achieve what I want to, then I'll mark a distinct era in football. I'm the Che Guevara of modern soccer.

I've always liked Liverpool. I'd play a lot of video games, and I'd be them, because they played in red, like Independiente, my first club, Arsenal, or Chelsea.

Nowadays, Messi is better than Ronaldinho. He is the best footballer in the world right now. And I'm not the only who says so. Everyone who has seen him play says so too.

Messi won 3 Ballons d'Or and is competing for another one. He will be the best player in the world until he retires.

I like tricks; I like to dazzle. Dribbling and leaving your opponent on his backside is what life is for. If I achieve what I want to, then I'll mark a distinct era in football. I'm the Che Guevara of modern soccer.

I learned to play football in the streets. Every day of school, everyone came and played football. The street is a good school, and you learn many things there - resiliency, how to play against older players, and how to put up with or dodge kicks.

I've always liked Liverpool. I'd play a lot of video games, and I'd be them, because they played in red, like Independiente, my first club, Arsenal, or Chelsea.

I'm adapting quite well to English football with the same will I've always had.

I always got on well with Roberto Mancini and never had a problem with him. Every manager has their own way of working, tactics, and style of play. As a player, you do what the manager says. There are misunderstandings, but generally, everything was fine under Mancini.

I'm very happy at City, very happy since the day I came. I knew that the project was good, and in my head, there is nothing else but Manchester City, so how long I'm going to be at City is just never a question.

I owe my life to my father. I remember that my first Christmas present was a ball. In the district where we lived, there weren't many kids who had one.

The first time I met Leo Messi, I didn't know who he was, only that I couldn't believe the boots he was wearing. But he is like a brother to me. It was at the start of 2005, when I was with the Argentine under-17 squad and I saw him chatting with Ezequiel Garay and some other players about the boots he'd brought back from the U.S.A.

I like it in Manchester. I thought it was going to be much colder, but it is not too bad. And my wife and son are happy here, too.

I like to think that people who really know me understand I am the same person - and that is something I will always fight to maintain. Obviously the money is there, but I want to stay the same. At the same time, I want my son to enjoy what I didn't have. My father-in-law often looks at all the toys and games Benjamin has.

I knew Manuel Pellegrini from my time in Spain. I'd only heard good things about him, that he was someone who instilled the confidence in his players to go out and play good, attacking football.

I'm often asked where my nickname 'Kun' comes from. My parents says it was a Japanese cartoon I used to watch on television when I was very young, set in the Stone Age, where the main character was a boy called Kum Kum, the little caveman.

There were days when my father didn't have money for food, and we slept hoping the next day something could be got from work.

When I moved from Independiente to Atletico Madrid, I was only 18, and I found it hard to adapt. But what surprised me most about moving to England was how fast the game was. I like it, but it is so quick.

The fact that an Englishman has an Argentinian as an idol is very rare. I keep watching my [title-winning] goal against QPR and every time I get more emotional. My plan is to stay here because I'm convinced Manchester City will be at the same level as Real Madrid and Barcelona.

Nowadays, Messi is better than Ronaldinho. He is the best footballer in the world right now. And I'm not the only who says so. Everyone who has seen him play says so too.

I find it embarrassing when people compare me to Maradona. How can they? There is only one Maradona. People who say this just have no idea, they don't know what they are talking about. Diego was a complete one-off who will never have an equal on the football pitch. No-one, I repeat no-one, could have transformed teams like he did. Maradona was the world's greatest-ever player while I'm just an apprentice.

Messi won 3 Ballons d'Or and is competing for another one. He will be the best player in the world until he retires.