‘All those little things – make sure you do them’: The striker’s road from gurney to scoring with Athletic Bilbao
Thehe debut appearance Gorka Guruzeta played in English soil, an 18-year-old playing for Athletic Bilbao B against German opponents at the English ground in fall 2015, he found the net. The second time he took the field in the country, against the English side weeks after, he netted. His third outing, against Manchester City soon after, sure enough, he repeated the feat. As he revisited to the northwest to play against the Red Devils at the sports complex in that year, he found the back of the net. A spectacular strike, also. “Actually,” he says, “it’s one of the best goals in my career.” Therefore the team did what they had to do: they substituted him.
“I became very upset,” the attacker admits, before breaking into laughter. “I’m sure there’s footage. We went to play United and I performed well. I wasn’t allowed to feature the second half: I hadn’t yet signed my contract, I was scoring goals, there were lots of rumours, as you’d expect. I’m unsure regarding the Magpies’ pursuit, but I recall seeing about Manchester United, the usual talk. I have no idea the validity, but even if they had called, I would have wanted to stay at the club. It’s a privilege.”
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At the training ground, the Basque Country, the morning session is about to start; post-session, the short journey to Loiu and another flight to Britain, this time to take on the Magpies in the UCL on midweek. Mentioning that phrase brings a smile to his face. It has become a challenging campaign for the team, due in part to the demands of their participation. Losing in stoppage time in the local rivalry, they have managed just one win of their last eight matches and been defeated by Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund in European competition. However, consider the broader view, the memorable evenings and upcoming events, and a sense of thankful reflection from him.
In the the period since he had returned to the club, the striker has been a Europa League semi-finalist, prevented from reaching a final at home by Manchester United, and has ridden an historic vessel up the Nervión estuary accompanied by countless supporters after winning the Copa del Rey, the first title in a long wait. Currently he stands as the club’s leading marksman in the European competition, where they are distinctive and debuting in a decade. “I never imagined this,” he admits.
He considered it difficult enough just to break into the senior squad and that proved true. Born to the ex-La Real star the former professional and a dedicated fan at the opposition side, Guruzeta is a graduate of Antiguoko, the local academy that developed Mikel Arteta, the legendary midfielder and Andoni Iraola. He signed for Athletic at seventeen but after his first-team bow in August 2018, he experienced a ACL injury, being released, a relegation and a call back before he could finally secure an opportunity, making his comeback to enjoy the highlights of the club’s history.
“Entering the youth system not expecting to reach the senior squad but every phase you progress through you’re remaining and you can observe the approach. You make it and … you’re sent away.” He had limited game time in a handful of matches between his bow and February 2019. “And then I go back down to the filial [Bilbao Athletic, the Under-23s]. Several appearances at that level and my knee gave way.
“A massive setback but I look back on it as something positive because it made me change the perspective. Healing from a serious ailment is hard, but it helps. You develop habits previously lacking. Previously I was casual, but I did the sessions and then go home, like when you’re a kid. At the complex, facilities are comprehensive, so utilize it all. Work, precaution. Hit the weights. If your hips aren’t balanced, address that. With decent ankle function, enhance it further. Every small aspect: perform them.
“At the top level you’re going to face physical challenges who have crashed into players repeatedly. Highly robust. I look at photos of me before: I had slender legs. So what happens, happens. Look at pictures of me now and the improvement is clear. Injury made me see that. Practice concludes, but additional work remains. Teammates are set, really ready; no exceptions.”
You also have to play. The striker moved emotionally in 2020, at 23 years old, moving to a lower level. At Sabadell in 2020-21, he netted three goals in forty appearances. During his Amorebieta stint in the following period, the goals started to flow. “It’s a common path: loans, terminated contracts. With a turnaround, effort, faith, and if one day a vacancy arises for your role, recall is possible. Readiness is vital. When the opportunity came, a fantasy realized. The trophy success, compete continentally, and reach the Champions League … pfff.”
Understandably he remarks this is to be enjoyed. All the more so after the prior campaign which, on occasions, was involved suffering. After being leading scorer with a high tally, he managed seven in {15 games more|additional matches|
