Gareth Bale and Sergio Aguero aiming for one last hurrah at Wembley in League Cup final

Spurs and City attackers aiming for silverware with repsective clubs ahead of moving on to pastures new this summer

Scorer of the match-winning goal, Sergio Aguero celebrates with the trophy after the Premier League match between Manchester City and Queens Park Rangers at the Etihad Stadium on May 13, 2012. Getty

Sergio Aguero kisses the ball to celebrate a goal and his hat-trick during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Newcastle United in October 2015. Getty Images

Sergio Aguero lifts the Premier League trophy at the end of the Barclays Premier League match between Manchester City and West Ham United at Etihad Stadium on May 11, 2014 in Manchester, England. Getty Images

Manchester City's Gabriel Jesus, left, congratulates Sergio Aguero after he scored their third goal during the English Premier League football match between Fulham and Manchester City at Craven Cottage in London on March 13, 2021. AFP

Sergio Aguero scores his team's third goal during the English Premier League football match between Fulham and Manchester City at Craven Cottage in London on March 13, 2021. AFP

Sergio Aguero vies with West Ham United's Vladimir Coufal during the English Premier League football match between Manchester City and West Ham United at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, north west England, on February 27, 2021. AFP

Manchester City's Pep Guardiola briefs Sergio Aguero during the English Premier League football match between Manchester City and Southampton at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, north west England on March 10, 2021. AFP

Sergio Aguero vies with Chelsea's Kurt Zouma during the English Premier League football match between Chelsea and Manchester City at Stamford Bridge in London on January 3, 2021. AFP

Sergio Aguero of Manchester City with Pepe of Porto during the UEFA Champions League Group C stage match between Manchester City and FC Porto at Etihad Stadium on October 21, 2020 in Manchester, England. Getty Images

Sergio Aguero scores his team's first goal from the penalty spot during the UEFA Champions League Group C stage match between Manchester City and FC Porto at Etihad Stadium on October 21, 2020 in Manchester, England. Getty Images

Sergio Aguero with assistant referee Sian Massey-Ellis during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Arsenal in October 2020. Getty Images

Sergio Aguero lifts The Carabao Cup trophy following his side's victory during the Carabao Cup Final between Aston Villa and Manchester City at Wembley Stadium on March 1, 2020 in London, England. Getty Images

Sergio Aguero celebrates scoring his second goal during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Crystal Palace at Etihad Stadium on January 18, 2020 in Manchester, United Kingdom. Getty Images

Sergio Aguero scores his sides fifth goal during the Premier League match between Aston Villa and Manchester City at Villa Park on January 12, 2020 in Birmingham, United Kingdom. Getty Images

Sergio Aguero celebrates scoring his team's second goal during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Watford FC at Etihad Stadium on September 21, 2019 in Manchester, United Kingdom. Getty Images

Pep Guardiola celebrates victory with Sergio Aguero and Gabriel Jesus of Manchester City following the FA Cup Quarter Final match between Swansea City and Manchester City at Liberty Stadium on March 16, 2019 in Swansea, United Kingdom. Getty Images

Sergio Aguero celebrates with the Premier League Trophy after winning the title following the Premier League match between Brighton & Hove Albion and Manchester City at American Express Community Stadium on May 12, 2019 in Brighton, United Kingdom. Getty Images

Sergio Aguero celebrates after scoring his team's first goal as Tom Heaton of Burnley reacts during the Premier League match between Burnley FC and Manchester City at Turf Moor on April 28, 2019 in Burnley, United Kingdom. Getty Images

Sergio Aguero scores his team's first goal from the penalty spot during the UEFA Champions League Round of 16 Second Leg match between Manchester City v FC Schalke 04 at Etihad Stadium on March 12, 2019 in Manchester, England. Getty Images

Sergio Aguero scores his team's third goal during the Premier League match between Southampton FC and Manchester City at St Mary's Stadium on December 29, 2018 in Southampton, United Kingdom. Getty Images

Sergio Aguero scores his team's second goal past David De Gea of Manchester United while being challenged by Victor Lindelof of Manchester United during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Manchester United at Etihad Stadium on November 11, 2018 in Manchester, United Kingdom. Getty Images

Sergio Aguero arrives at the stadium prior to the Premier League match between Manchester City and Manchester United at Etihad Stadium on November 11, 2018 in Manchester, United Kingdom. Getty Images

Sergio Aguero celebrates after scoring his team's second goal during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Southampton FC at Etihad Stadium on November 4, 2018 in Manchester, United Kingdom. Getty Images

Sergio Aguero kisses the trophy after winning the League Cup Final between Arsenal and Manchester City at Wembley Stadium on February 25, 2018 in London, England. Getty Images

Sergio Aguero scores his side's first goal during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Bournemouth at Etihad Stadium on December 23, 2017 in Manchester, England. Getty Images

Manchester City's Sergio Aguero is awarded a trophy for being Manchester City's all-time leading goal scorer, ahead of the English Premier League football match between Manchester City and Arsenal at the Etihad Stadium in Manchester, north west England, on November 5, 2017. AFP

Sergio Aguero celebrates after scoring 2-3 goal during the UEFA Champions League group F match between SSC Napoli and Manchester City at Stadio San Paolo on November 1, 2017 in Naples, Italy. Getty Images

Pep Guardiola and Sergio Aguero of Manchester City celebrate after winning the penalty shoot out in the Carabao Cup Fourth Round match between Manchester City and Wolverhampton Wanderers at Etihad Stadium on October 24, 2017 in Manchester, England. Getty Images

Sergio Aguero scores his side's first goal during the Premier League match between Watford and Manchester City at Vicarage Road on September 16, 2017 in Watford, England. Getty Images

Sergio Aguero celebrates scoring his team's second goal during the Premier League match between West Bromwich Albion and Manchester City at The Hawthorns on October 29, 2016 in West Bromwich, England. Getty Images

Sam McQueen of Southampton closes down Sergio Aguero during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Southampton at Etihad Stadium on October 23, 2016 in Manchester, England. Getty Images

Sergio Aguero battles for the ball with Nir Bitton and Scott Brown of Celtic during the UEFA Champions League group C match between Celtic FC and Manchester City FC at Celtic Park on September 28, 2016 in Glasgow, Scotland. Getty Images

Newcastle goalkeeper Karl Darlow is beaten by a header from Sergio Aguero for the first goal during the Barclays Premier League match between Newcastle United and Manchester City at St James' Park on April 19, 2016 in Newcastle Upon Tyne, England. Getty Images

Sergio Aguero and Pablo Zabaleta celebrate victory with the trophy after the Capital One Cup Final match between Liverpool and Manchester City at Wembley Stadium on February 28, 2016 in London, England. Getty Images

Sergio Aguero celebrates scoring his fourth goal during the Barclays Premier League match between Manchester City and Newcastle United at Etihad Stadium on October 3, 2015 in Manchester, United Kingdom. Getty Images

Sergio Aguero celebrates scoring his fifth and team's six goal during the Barclays Premier League match between Manchester City and Newcastle United at Etihad Stadium on October 3, 2015 in Manchester, United Kingdom. Getty Images

Sergio Aguero holding the golden boots trophy waves to supporters after the Barclays Premier League match between Manchester City and Southampton at Etihad Stadium on May 24, 2015 in Manchester, England. Getty Images

Sergio Aguero scores his team's second goal during the UEFA Champions League Group E match between Manchester City and FC Bayern Muenchen at the Etihad Stadium on November 25, 2014 in Manchester, United Kingdom. Getty Images

Sergio Aguero is tightly marked during the Barclays Premier League match between Southampton and Manchester St Mary's Stadium on November 30, 2014 in Southampton, England. Getty Images

Sergio Aguero celebrates after scoring his team's third goal during the Barclays Premier League match between Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur at Etihad Stadium on October 18, 2014 in Manchester, England. Getty Images

Sergio Aguero celebrates after scoring his team's second goal during the Barclays Premier League match between Newcastle United and Manchester City at St James' Park on August 17, 2014 in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. Getty Images

Sergio Aguero celebrates after scoring the opening goal during the Barclays Premier League match between Manchester City and Arsenal at Etihad Stadium on December 14, 2013 in Manchester, England. Getty Images

Manchester City fans celebrate after Sergio Aguero scores their team's second goal during the Barclays Premier League match between Manchester City and Everton at Etihad Stadium on October 5, 2013 in Manchester, England. Getty Images

Sergio Aguero shoots at goal during the UEFA Champions League Group D match between Manchester City and CSKA Moscow at the Etihad Stadium on November 5, 2013 in Manchester, England. Getty Images

Sergio Aguero celebrates scoring their first goal during the Barclays Premier League match between Chelsea and Manchester City at Stamford Bridge on October 27, 2013 in London, England. Getty Images

Sergio Aguero signs autographs on memorabilia for Manchester City fans at Hong Kong Airport shortly after the team arrives to compete in the Barclays Asia Trophy, on July 22, 2013 in Hong Kong. Getty Images

Sergio Aguero beats Jussi Jaaskelainen of West Ham United to score the opening goal during the Barclays Premier League match between Manchester City and West Ham United at the Etihad Stadium on April 27, 2013 in Manchester, England. Getty Images

Sergio Aguero celebrates scoring his team's fourth goal during the FA Cup fifth round match between Manchester City and Leeds United at the Etihad Stadium on February 17, 2013 in Manchester, England. Getty Images

Sergio Aguero celebrates winning the 2012 Premier League title as the final whistle blows during the match between Manchester City and QPR. Getty Images

Sergio Aguero celebrates after scoring against Swansea City in 2011. Getty Images

Sergio Aguero of Manchester City shoots at goal under pressure from Lewis Holtby of Tottenham Hotspur during the Barclays Premier League match between Manchester City and Tottenham Hotspur at Etihad Stadium on November 24, 2013 in Manchester, England. Getty Images

Sergio Aguero scores the third goal, from a penalty kick, during the Barclays Premier League match between Manchester City and Stoke City at the Etihad Stadium on January 1, 2013 in Manchester, England. Getty Images

Sergio Aguero celebrates scoring Manchester City's third goal during the 6-1 win over rivals Manchester United. Getty Images

Sergio Aguero shoots and scores his sides second goal during the Barclays Premier League match between Fulham and Manchester City at Craven Cottage on September 18, 2011 in London, England. Getty Images

Sergio Aguero of Manchester City holds off a challenge from Joe Allen of Swansea City during the Barclays Premier League match between Manchester City and Swansea City at Etihad Stadium on August 15, 2011 in Manchester, England. Getty Images

Sergio Aguero signs with Manchester City in 2011. Manchester City FC via Getty Images

The last time Tottenham Hotspur won a trophy, an 18-year-old from Cardiff with jets in his heels started the adventure. He was mainly known as left-back in those days, and, unfortunately, he was becoming known as a little injury-prone. But he was terrifically exciting.

His name was Gareth Bale, and as he celebrated the opening goal in a League Cup third round tie against Middlesbrough in late September 2007 with a knee slide towards the corner flag at the old White Hart Lane, he sensed in the cheers that Spurs supporters already saw him as a fine investment.

He had signed from Southampton that summer. The goal against Boro that put Spurs on their way in their triumphant League Cup run was his third from three successive starts.

Sadly for Bale, he would not feature again in that cup campaign, one that ended with Tottenham’s first trophy for nine seasons, thanks to a 2-1 Wembley win against Chelsea.

Bale, injured for long chunks of his first season in London, watched the final from distance, nursing an injured foot. It would be over the next five years, all trophyless, that the Bale phenomenon took flight, and made him the most expensive footballer in history when he joined Real Madrid for more than €100 million in 2013.

Two years earlier, Sergio Aguero had come from the Spanish capital – from Atletico Madrid – to a Premier League a club about to thoroughly dismantle their reputation for lacking silverware.

Aguero is synonymous with Manchester City’s serial success in the last decade. He will certainly add to his 14 trophies with the club this season; the immediate question is whether today Aguero picks up his sixth League Cup with City, and whether, in what are his final weeks as a City icon, he plays a significant part in the final, given he is only just back from an injury lay-off and that he is no longer an automatic choice in City manager Pep Guardiola’s strongest starting XI.

Bale, 31, and Aguero, 32, look on Sunday’s League Cup final through a similar lens. Both must suspect this may be their last Wembley final.

Both are approaching a farewell to clubs that has shaped their careers, Aguero because his contract will not be renewed in June, Bale because his season-long loan back at Spurs expires then. The Welshman has one year left on his Madrid deal, and Tottenham have not been persuaded in the last 10 months he is consistently a brilliant enough performer to justify a bid to keep him in North London.

Bale is, though, the most expert cup-winner on Spurs' premises, especially as the task of picking and coaching the team is no longer Jose Mourinho's but has been handed over from the sacked Mourinho to Ryan Mason, who like Bale, was a teenager on the Spurs roster when the club last had a fresh trophy.

Mason’s trajectory took him eventually to Hull City, and a grave head injury that curtailed his career. Bale took off to Madrid, and in between his disruptive periods of injury, four European Cups, two La Liga titles, and a knack of stamping his excellence on some of the grandest club finals.

Interim manager Mason, 29, has a decision to make on what role to assign Bale, 31, at Wembley. With Harry Kane’s fitness uncertain and doubt over how much of the final Kane can endure, Bale may be required to assume greater responsibility for leading the forward line.

Mason, six days into the job, has already coaxed a goal out of him, a fine finish against Southampton in midweek, which augurs well in a season that has had its ups and downs for the Welshman. As his former manager at Spurs, Harry Redknapp, put it: “What he needs is somebody to believe in him and tell him, ‘You’re the best, Gareth!’.”

What Aguero will have, from City, is a very respectful, noble send-off reminding him he was their best, when he plays his final minutes in light blue. But that will happen next month. What he would really cherish would be a memorable part in sealing his next City trophy.

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