KUALA LUMPUR: "Wherever I go, people talk about it," said Harimau Malaya's 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 teasing 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 said.
After playing youth football with River Plate and All Boys, he signed his first professional contract in 2015 with Hungarian club Tatabanyai.
He lasted just one season until fate took him 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," said the Sri Pahang player.
"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."
Aguero's debut for Harimau Malaya – a friendly against Cambodia on Dec 9 2022 – was an emotional moment for the player, as was his first goal for his country just 15 days later in an AFF Cup game against Laos.
The adventure continued into the second round of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.
Despite a decent run in Group D, Malaysia narrowly missed out on a place in the next round after finishing third, a point behind runners-up Kyrgyzstan and three behind group winners Oman.
The forward has always had a long-term plan and would love to fulfil his dream of seeing Malaysia reach new heights and make history.
"My short-term goal is to help Sri Pahang grow and win some trophies for the club. My long-term goal is to help Malaysian football move up the Fifa Rankings, and my big dream is obviously to see Malaysia win the Asian Cup and also qualify for the World Cup," he concluded.
