‘All those silly things – do them’: Guruzeta’s road from rehabilitation to scoring with Athletic Bilbao
Thehe initial occasion the Spanish forward competed in the UK, an 18-year-old representing the youth squad against Bundesliga youth at Wycombe’s stadium in fall 2015, he scored. On his next visit he took the field in the country, against Sunderland following that, he converted. His third outing, against Manchester City soon after, well, he repeated the feat. When he returned to the northwest to take on Manchester United at Leigh Sports Village in the 2017 season, he did it once more. An excellent finish, too. “Truly,” he states, “it ranks among my finest I’ve netted.” So Athletic did what they had to do: they substituted him.
“I became very upset,” the Athletic striker says, and then he starts laughing. “There must be a video somewhere. We went to play United and I was in fine form. They kept me out of the final 45 minutes: I was without a signed agreement, I kept finding the net, speculation was rife, as you’d expect. I’m unsure regarding the Magpies’ pursuit, but I remember reading about the Red Devils, standard transfer gossip. I’m not certain if it was accurate, but had they contacted me, my desire was to remain at the club. It’s a privilege.”
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At the facility, the city, the day’s first practice is set to begin; after it, the brief trip to the airport and another trip to England, on this occasion to face Newcastle in the Champions League on Wednesday. Just saying those two words makes Guruzeta smile. It has become a difficult season for Athletic, partly because of the demands of their participation. Losing in stoppage time in the local rivalry, they have won only one of their last eight matches and fallen to the Gunners and the German side in European competition. But, look at the overall situation, the major occasions he’s experienced and those that lie ahead, and a sense of thankful reflection from him.
In the three years since he had returned to the club, Gorka has been a semi-final participant, denied at the last hurdle the showpiece event by United, and has boarded a decades-old barge up the Nervión estuary surrounded by a million fans after lifting the trophy, the team’s initial silverware in 40 years. Now he is Athletic’s top scorer in the Champions League, where they are unique and returning after absence in a decade. “I never imagined this,” he says.
He considered it difficult enough just to break into the senior squad and that proved true. As the child of the former Real Sociedad player the former professional and a regular attendee at the team he now opposes, Gorka is a graduate of Antiguoko, the local academy that developed Mikel Arteta, Xabi Alonso and Andoni Iraola. He joined Athletic at his teens but after his first-team bow in the 2018 season, he went through a serious knee problem, being released, a drop in category and a recall before he could finally secure an opportunity, coming back aged 26 to enjoy the highlights of his career.
“You go into the academy not expecting to reach the first team but every phase you advance through you’re remaining and you can see it getting closer. You make it and … you have to leave.” He had limited game time in six games between his bow and that period. “And then I go back down to the filial [Bilbao Athletic, the Under-23s]. A few matches at that level and my knee gave way.
“A massive setback but I look back on it as a beneficial experience because it made me change the outlook. Healing from a serious ailment is challenging, but it helps. You adopt practices previously lacking. It’s not that you don’t look after yourself, but I would go to training and then head home, as a youngster does. At the complex, all resources are available, so utilize it all. Work, precaution. Strength training. With hip imbalance, address that. Assuming ankle mobility is good, make it a 12 or a 14. Every small aspect: do them.
“Among professionals you’re going to crash into players who have experienced contact 200,000 times. Highly robust. Reviewing old images: I had slender legs. Thus incidents occur. Look at pictures of me now and it’s totally different. Injury made me see that. Practice concludes, but further effort is needed. Everyone else is ready, really ready; the same applies.”
You also have to play. Guruzeta departed in tears in the pandemic season, in his early twenties, moving to a lower level. During his Sabadell spell in the 20-21 campaign, he got three strikes in numerous matches. With Amorebieta in the following period, the goals started to flow. “Many experience this: transfers, releases. With a turnaround, effort, faith, and if one day a vacancy arises for your role, a return could happen. Preparation is key. When they decided to call again, it was a dream come true. The trophy success, compete continentally, and make the UCL … pfff.”
Little surprise he states savor the moment. Especially after the previous season which, at times, was focused on persistence. From top scorer with 16 in 2023-24, his output dropped to seven in {15 games more|additional matches|
