‘All those silly things – do them’: Guruzeta’s path from gurney to scoring with Athletic Bilbao
The initial occasion the Athletic striker competed in the UK, an 18-year-old playing for Athletic Bilbao B against Bundesliga youth at Adams Park in the 2015 season, he found the net. On his next visit he appeared in the country, against the English side weeks after, he converted. Another occasion, against Manchester City not long later, sure enough, he repeated the feat. Upon his comeback to the northwest to take on Manchester United at Leigh Sports Village in 2017, he scored again. An excellent finish, too. “Actually,” he states, “it’s one of the best goals I’ve netted.” Therefore the team did their duty: they took him off.
“I got well angry,” the attacker says, and then he starts laughing. “There must be a video somewhere. Our match against United and I performed well. They kept me out of the final 45 minutes: I hadn’t yet signed agreement, I kept finding the net, there were lots of rumours, it’s typical. I’m unsure regarding Newcastle being interested, but I recall seeing about the Red Devils, standard transfer gossip. I’m not certain if it was accurate, but even if they had called, I would have wanted to stay at the club. It’s a privilege.”
La Real relieve strain with extraordinary derby triumph
At the facility, Bilbao, the morning session is ready to commence; following that, the quick travel to Loiu and a further journey to Britain, this time to take on the Magpies in the UCL on midweek. Mentioning that phrase lights him up. It’s turning out to be a tough year for Athletic, due in part to the requirements of their participation. Beaten in added time in the derby on Saturday, they have won only one of their last eight matches and lost against Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund in European competition. Yet, take in the big picture, the major occasions he’s experienced and upcoming events, and he feels a calm gratitude within him.
In the the period since he had come back to Athletic, Guruzeta has been a final four contender in Europe, denied at the last hurdle a domestic final by the English giants, and has traveled on a traditional boat along the Nervión river accompanied by countless supporters after lifting the trophy, the first title in a long wait. He’s now Athletic’s top scorer in the Champions League, where they are unique and making their first appearance in a decade. “This was beyond my dreams,” he admits.
He considered it hard enough just to earn a spot and he was right. As the child of the former Real Sociedad player the former professional and a dedicated fan at the club that are now his rivals, Gorka is from the Antiguoko academy, the Donostiarra team that nurtured Mikel Arteta, the legendary midfielder and Andoni Iraola. He signed for Athletic at seventeen but after his top-level debut in the 2018 season, he suffered a serious knee problem, dropped, a drop in category and a return before he could truly get a chance, making his comeback to enjoy the highlights of their lives.
“Joining the setup doubting you’ll make the first team but with every stage you progress through you’re still there and you can notice the proximity. You get there but … you have to leave.” He had limited game time in a handful of matches between his first game and February 2019. “Then I was sent to the filial [Bilbao Athletic, the Under-23s]. Several appearances at that level and my knee gave way.
“It was a huge blow but In retrospect as a turning point because it forced me to alter the way I saw things. Healing from a serious ailment is hard, but it helps. You develop habits new to you. Previously I was casual, but I would go to training and then go home, as a youngster does. In the facility, you have everything, so utilize it all. Training, prehab. Strength training. If your hips aren’t balanced, address that. If your ankles are a 10, enhance it further. All the minor details: execute them.
“In the first team you’re going to crash into players who have experienced contact repeatedly. Extremely powerful. Reviewing old images: my legs are chicken legs. Injuries are inevitable. Current photos and the improvement is clear. Recovery revealed that. Practice concludes, but further effort is needed. Teammates are set, really ready; no exceptions.”
Game time is essential. He left in tears in 2020, aged 23, joining the second tier. With Sabadell in the 20-21 campaign, he netted three goals in numerous matches. At Amorebieta in the second half of 2021-22, the goals started to flow. “It’s a common path: temporary moves, ended deals. Should you reverse it, dedication, confidence, and when eventually they need someone in your position, a return could happen. You have to be ready. When they decided to call again, an aspiration fulfilled. To then win the Copa del Rey, compete continentally, and reach the Champions League … pfff.”
No wonder he says appreciate the experience. Especially after the prior campaign which, sometimes, was focused on persistence. Previously the main threat with a high tally, last season he got seven in {15 games more|additional matches|
