‘All those silly things – do them’: The striker’s road from rehabilitation to goals with Athletic
The debut appearance the Athletic striker featured in English soil, an young playing for the youth squad against Borussia Mönchengladbach Under-23s at the English ground in the 2015 season, he hit the target. During his subsequent match he took the field in British turf, against the English side following that, he netted. The third time, against the Citizens not long later, indeed, he did it once more. As he revisited to Manchester to take on Manchester United at Leigh’s ground in that year, he found the back of the net. A spectacular strike, too. “In fact,” he states, “it ranks among my finest in my career.” Therefore the team did what they had to do: they substituted him.
“I was furious,” the forward reveals, before breaking into laughter. “Probably there’s a recording. We went to play United and I was in fine form. They didn’t let me play the final 45 minutes: I hadn’t yet signed agreement, I was scoring goals, many stories circulated, it’s typical. No confirmation on the Magpies’ pursuit, but I recall seeing about the Red Devils, the typical thing. I’m not certain the validity, but had they contacted me, my desire was to remain at the club. I’m fortunate to be here.”
La Real relieve strain with extraordinary derby triumph
At Lezama, Bilbao, the day’s first practice is about to start; after it, the brief trip to the airport and another trip to Britain, this time to take on the Magpies in the European elite competition on Wednesday. Just saying those two words makes Guruzeta smile. It has become a difficult season for Athletic, due in part to the pressures of being here. Defeated late on in the local rivalry, they have managed just one win of their last eight matches and been defeated by Arsenal and the German side in European competition. But, look at the overall situation, the memorable evenings and future challenges, and a sense of thankful reflection within him.
In the 36 months since he had come back to Athletic, Gorka has been a semi-final participant, denied at the last hurdle a domestic final by the English giants, and has traveled on a traditional boat up the Nervión estuary flanked by a million fans after winning the Copa del Rey, the team’s initial silverware in 40 years. Now he is Athletic’s top scorer in the Champions League, where they are countercultural and returning after absence in a long period. “This was beyond my dreams,” he admits.
The player believed it hard enough just to earn a spot and he was right. The son of the ex-La Real star his father and a dedicated fan at the club that are now his rivals, Guruzeta is a product of Antiguoko, the San Sebastián club that nurtured Mikel Arteta, the former star and Andoni Iraola. He signed for Athletic at 17 but after his first-team bow in that summer, he experienced a torn cruciate, the cut, a drop in category and a return before he could earn his place, coming back aged 26 to experience the peak of his career.
“Entering the youth system not expecting to reach the senior squad but with every stage you advance through you’re remaining and you can observe the approach. You arrive and then … departure is necessary.” He featured briefly in six matches in six games between his first game and February 2019. “And then I go back down to the filial [Bilbao Athletic, the Under-23s]. Several appearances at that level and I tear my cruciate.
“It was a huge blow but I look back on it as something positive because it shifted the outlook. Recovering from a long-term injury is difficult, but it helps. You cultivate routines you didn’t have. It’s not that you don’t look after yourself, but I attended practice and then return home, as a youngster does. At the complex, facilities are comprehensive, so do everything. Practice, prevention. Hit the weights. Should your hips be uneven, correct it. With decent ankle function, enhance it further. All those ‘silly things’: do them.
“In the first team you’re going to collide with opponents who have been in battles repeatedly. Extremely powerful. Seeing previous pictures: my physique was slight. Injuries are inevitable. Current photos and the improvement is clear. Recovery revealed that. Practice concludes, but further effort is needed. Everyone else is ready, really ready; no exceptions.”
Game time is essential. He left upset in that year, at 23 years old, moving to a lower level. At Sabadell in that season, he got three strikes in 40 games. With Amorebieta in the second half of 2021-22, the he found his form. “It’s a common path: transfers, releases. With a turnaround, dedication, confidence, and if one day they need someone for your role, a return could happen. Readiness is vital. Upon the recall, it was a dream come true. The trophy success, compete continentally, and qualify for Europe’s top tier … pfff.”
Little surprise he states this is to be enjoyed. Especially after the prior campaign which, on occasions, was focused on persistence. From top scorer with a high tally, his output dropped to seven in {15 games more|additional matches|
