‘All those silly things – do them’: Guruzeta’s journey from injury table to goals with the Basque club
Thehe initial occasion the Athletic striker featured in English soil, an young representing Athletic Bilbao B against German opponents at the English ground in the 2015 season, he found the net. On his next visit he played in the country, against the English side two months later, he netted. His third outing, against Manchester City soon after, indeed, he repeated the feat. Upon his comeback to the northwest to take on Manchester United at the sports complex in 2017, he scored again. An excellent finish, too. “In fact,” he says, “it ranks among my finest I’ve ever scored.” Therefore the team did what was necessary: he was replaced.
“I was furious,” the forward admits, then chuckling. “Probably there’s a recording. We traveled to face United and I was pretty good. They kept me out of the final 45 minutes: my contract wasn’t finalized my contract, I kept finding the net, speculation was rife, as you’d expect. No confirmation on interest from Newcastle, but I came across reports about the Red Devils, the usual talk. I have no idea how true it was, but had they contacted me, I would have wanted to stay at the club. I feel lucky to be here.”
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At the training ground, the Basque Country, the day’s first practice is ready to commence; following that, the quick travel to Loiu and a further journey to the UK, on this occasion to play Newcastle in the UCL on the upcoming match. Uttering the name makes Guruzeta smile. This is proving a difficult season for the team, partly because of the demands of their participation. Losing in stoppage time in the weekend clash, they have secured just a single victory of their recent league fixtures and been defeated by Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund in Europe. However, take in the big picture, the major occasions he’s experienced and those that lie ahead, and he feels a calm gratitude within him.
In the three years since he had returned to the club, Gorka has been a final four contender in Europe, denied at the last hurdle a final at home by Manchester United, and has ridden an historic vessel up the Nervión estuary accompanied by countless supporters after securing the Spanish cup, the team’s initial silverware in 40 years. Currently he stands as the club’s leading marksman in the European competition, where they are unique and debuting in a decade. “This was beyond my dreams,” he admits.
He considered it hard enough just to break into the senior squad and his assessment was correct. Born to the one-time rival player Xabi Guruzeta and a regular attendee at the team he now opposes, Gorka is a graduate of Antiguoko, the Donostiarra team that nurtured the Arsenal manager, the former star and the tactician. His move to Athletic came at 17 but after making his senior debut in August 2018, he experienced a serious knee problem, being released, a drop in category and a return before he could earn his place, coming back aged 26 to experience the peak of his career.
“You go into the academy not expecting to reach the senior squad but with every stage you go through you’re remaining and you can observe the approach. You arrive and then … you have to leave.” He had limited game time in six games between his first game and February 2019. “Then I was sent to the filial [Bilbao Athletic, the Under-23s]. Several appearances there and I tear my cruciate.
“A massive setback but I look back on it as a turning point because it made me change the outlook. The rehabilitation process is difficult, but it helps. You cultivate routines previously lacking. It’s not that you don’t look after yourself, but I did the sessions and then go home, like when you’re a kid. At the complex, you have everything, so do everything. Training, prehab. Get in the gym. With hip imbalance, work on that. With decent ankle function, improve it more. All those ‘silly things’: do them.
“In the first team you’re going to collide with opponents who have crashed into players countless occasions. They’re so strong. Reviewing old images: I had slender legs. Injuries are inevitable. Look at pictures of me now and it’s totally different. Recovery revealed that. Practice concludes, but further effort is needed. Teammates are set, really ready; the same applies.”
Game time is essential. Guruzeta departed in tears in that year, in his early twenties, dropping into the second division. At Sabadell in 2020-21, he scored three times in numerous matches. With Amorebieta in the second half of 2021-22, the he found his form. “Many experience this: transfers, releases. If you turn it round, effort, faith, and if one day they need someone for your role, recall is possible. You have to be ready. When the opportunity came, a fantasy realized. To then win the Copa del Rey, European football, and make the UCL … pfff.”
No wonder he says this is to be enjoyed. All the more so after the prior campaign which, on occasions, was about endurance. From top scorer with sixteen goals, his output dropped to seven in {15 games more|additional matches|
