‘All those silly things – do them’: The striker’s journey from rehabilitation to scoring with Athletic Bilbao
The first time the Athletic striker competed in English soil, an young playing for Athletic Bilbao B against German opponents at the English ground in the 2015 season, he found the net. During his subsequent match he played in England, against the English side following that, he netted. Another occasion, against Pep Guardiola’s team six weeks after that, indeed, he repeated the feat. When he returned to Manchester to face United at the sports complex in that year, he scored again. A spectacular strike, also. “Truly,” he states, “it’s a top-class goal I’ve netted.” So Athletic did what was necessary: he was replaced.
“I was furious,” the forward admits, before breaking into laughter. “Probably there’s a recording. Our match against United and I was in fine form. They didn’t let me play the final 45 minutes: I was without a signed deal, I kept finding the net, many stories circulated, you know how it is. I don’t know about interest from Newcastle, but I remember reading about Man United, standard transfer gossip. I have no idea the validity, but even if they had called, my desire was to remain at Athletic. It’s a privilege.”
La Real relieve strain with extraordinary derby triumph
At the facility, the city, the early training is about to start; post-session, the quick travel to Loiu airport and a further journey to the UK, on this occasion to face Newcastle in the European elite competition on Wednesday. Mentioning that phrase makes Guruzeta smile. It’s turning out to be a tough year for the team, partially owing to the pressures of their participation. Losing in stoppage time in the local rivalry, they have secured just a single victory of their past eight league games and fallen to the Gunners and the German side in the continental stage. Yet, take in the big picture, the big nights he has lived and those that lie ahead, and he feels a calm gratitude about him.
In the the period since he had rejoined the team, Guruzeta has been a Europa League semi-finalist, stopped at the gates the showpiece event by the English giants, and has traveled on a traditional boat up the Nervión estuary accompanied by a huge crowd after securing the Spanish cup, the club’s first trophy in four decades. Currently he stands as Athletic’s top scorer in the European competition, where they are distinctive and making their first appearance in a decade. “This was beyond my dreams,” he admits.
The player believed it difficult enough just to earn a spot and that proved true. Born to the former Real Sociedad player Xabi Guruzeta and a season ticket holder at the opposition side, Gorka is from the Antiguoko academy, the local academy that developed the Arsenal manager, the former star and the Bournemouth manager. He joined Athletic at his teens but after his top-level debut in August 2018, he suffered a torn cruciate, being released, a relegation and a return before he could earn his place, returning at 26 to live the best days of his career.
“Joining the setup not expecting to reach the first team but every phase you progress through you’re remaining and you can see it getting closer. You get there but … you have to leave.” He had limited game time in half a dozen appearances between his debut and February 2019. “And then I go back down to the filial [Bilbao Athletic, the Under-23s]. Several appearances at that level and I suffered the ACL injury.
“It was a huge blow but I look back on it as something positive because it shifted the perspective. The rehabilitation process is challenging, but it helps. You adopt practices you didn’t have. It’s not that you don’t look after yourself, but I attended practice and then head home, as a youngster does. At the complex, you have everything, so do everything. Training, prehab. Get in the gym. Should your hips be uneven, work on that. If your ankles are a 10, make it a 12 or a 14. All the minor details: do them.
“In the first team you’re going to face physical challenges who have been in battles countless occasions. Extremely powerful. Seeing previous pictures: my legs are chicken legs. Thus incidents occur. Present-day images and it’s totally different. Recovery revealed that. Practice concludes, but there’s more to do. Teammates are set, really ready; no exceptions.”
Minutes are crucial. Guruzeta departed in tears in the pandemic season, aged 23, joining the second tier. At Sabadell in 2020-21, he scored three times in numerous matches. During his Amorebieta stint in the latter part of the season, the goals started to flow. “Many experience this: loans, terminated contracts. Should you reverse it, effort, faith, and if one day they need someone where you play, recall is possible. Readiness is vital. Upon the recall, an aspiration fulfilled. The trophy success, European football, and reach the Champions League … pfff.”
No wonder he says this is to be enjoyed. All the more so after the previous season which, on occasions, was about endurance. Previously the main threat with 16 in 2023-24, his output dropped to seven in {15 games more|additional matches|
