‘All those silly things – do them’: The striker’s path from injury table to scoring with Athletic Bilbao
Thehe first time the Athletic striker competed in the UK, an young playing for the youth squad against German opponents at Wycombe’s stadium in the 2015 season, he scored. The second time he appeared in British turf, against Sunderland two months later, he scored. His third outing, against Pep Guardiola’s team not long later, indeed, he scored again. Upon his comeback to Manchester to face United at Leigh Sports Village in 2017, he found the back of the net. A spectacular strike, too. “Actually,” he remarks, “it’s a top-class goal I’ve ever scored.” Therefore the team did their duty: they substituted him.
“I was furious,” the forward reveals, before breaking into laughter. “Probably there’s a recording. Our match against United and I was pretty good. I wasn’t allowed to feature the final 45 minutes: my contract wasn’t finalized agreement, I kept finding the net, there were lots of rumours, it’s typical. I’m unsure regarding Newcastle being interested, but I came across reports about the Red Devils, standard transfer gossip. I have no idea if it was accurate, but supposing an offer came, I would have wanted to stay at Athletic. I’m fortunate to be here.”
Real Sociedad release pressure with surreal victory in Basque derby like no other
At the training ground, the city, the day’s first practice is ready to commence; post-session, the brief trip to Loiu and a further journey to the UK, now to play Newcastle in the Champions League on Wednesday. Just saying those two words brings a smile to his face. It’s turning out to be a difficult season for Athletic, partially owing to the demands of being here. Defeated late on in the weekend clash, they have managed just one win of their last eight matches and been defeated by Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund in European competition. Yet, consider the broader view, the memorable evenings and those that lie ahead, and a sense of thankful reflection about him.
In the three years since he had returned to the club, the striker has been a semi-final participant, prevented from reaching a final at home by Manchester United, and has ridden an historic vessel along the Nervión river accompanied by a huge crowd after securing the Spanish cup, the first title in a long wait. He’s now the club’s leading marksman in the UCL, where they are unique and returning after absence in ten years. “I couldn’t have pictured this,” he says.
Guruzeta thought it hard enough just to break into the senior squad and that proved true. As the child of the former Real Sociedad player his father and a dedicated fan at the opposition side, Gorka is from the Antiguoko academy, the local academy that developed the coach, the former star and the Bournemouth manager. He joined Athletic at seventeen but after his first-team bow in August 2018, he went through a torn cruciate, dropped, a drop in category and a call back before he could earn his place, returning at 26 to enjoy the highlights of his career.
“Joining the setup doubting you’ll make the top level but with every stage you advance through you’re remaining and you can see it getting closer. You get there but … you have to leave.” He featured briefly in six matches in a handful of matches between his first game and February 2019. “Subsequently I returned to the filial [Bilbao Athletic, the Under-23s]. A few matches there and I tear my cruciate.
“A severe disappointment but I look back on it as a beneficial experience because it forced me to alter the way I saw things. The rehabilitation process is hard, but it helps. You adopt practices new to you. It’s not about neglect, but I would go to training and then return home, like when you’re a kid. At the complex, all resources are available, so do everything. Work, precaution. Get in the gym. If your hips aren’t balanced, work on that. Assuming ankle mobility is good, make it a 12 or a 14. All those ‘silly things’: do them.
“In the first team you’re going to crash into players who have experienced contact countless occasions. Extremely powerful. I look at photos of me before: I had slender legs. Thus incidents occur. Present-day images and the improvement is clear. Injury made me see that. Sessions end, but there’s more to do. Peers are prepared, really ready; no exceptions.”
Game time is essential. Guruzeta departed in tears in the pandemic season, at 23 years old, moving to a lower level. With Sabadell in the 20-21 campaign, he netted three goals in numerous matches. At Amorebieta in the second half of 2021-22, the goals started to flow. “Players go through it: temporary moves, ended deals. Should you reverse it, dedication, confidence, and when eventually a vacancy arises in your position, they might come back for you. You have to be ready. Upon the recall, 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 about endurance. After being leading scorer with 16 in 2023-24, his output dropped to seven in {15 games more|additional matches|
