‘All those little things – make sure you do them’: Guruzeta’s road from injury table to goals with Athletic Bilbao
Whenhe first time the Spanish forward featured in the UK, an 18-year-old appearing for the youth squad against German opponents at the English ground in the 2015 season, he scored. On his next visit he took the field in British turf, against the Black Cats two months later, he netted. The third time, against the Citizens not long later, sure enough, he repeated the feat. When he returned to the city to take on Manchester United at Leigh Sports Village in 2017, he did it once more. A spectacular strike, also. “Actually,” he says, “it’s a top-class goal I’ve netted.” Therefore the team did their duty: they substituted him.
“I became very upset,” the Athletic striker says, then chuckling. “Probably there’s a recording. We traveled to face United and I was in fine form. They didn’t let me play the second half: I hadn’t yet signed deal, I was scoring goals, speculation was rife, as you’d expect. I don’t know about interest from Newcastle, but I came across reports about Manchester United, standard transfer gossip. It’s unclear how true it was, but had they contacted me, I would have wanted to stay at Athletic. I feel lucky to be here.”
Real Sociedad release pressure with surreal victory in Basque derby like no other
At the facility, the Basque Country, the day’s first practice is ready to commence; following that, the short journey to Loiu and another flight to England, this time to take on the Magpies in the European elite competition on midweek. Just saying those two words lights him up. This is proving a challenging campaign for the club, due in part to the demands of being here. Losing in stoppage time in the weekend clash, they have secured just a single victory of their past eight league games and fallen to the Gunners and Dortmund in Europe. However, consider the broader view, the major occasions he’s experienced and those that lie ahead, and a sense of thankful reflection from him.
In the 36 months since he had rejoined the team, Gorka has been a semi-final participant, prevented from reaching the showpiece event by Manchester United, and has boarded a decades-old barge along the Nervión river surrounded by a million fans after securing the Spanish cup, the team’s initial silverware in a long wait. Now he is Athletic’s top scorer in the European competition, where they are distinctive and returning after absence in a long period. “This was beyond my dreams,” he admits.
Guruzeta thought it difficult enough just to earn a spot and that proved true. As the child of the former Real Sociedad player the former professional and a dedicated fan at the team he now opposes, the forward is from the Antiguoko academy, the Donostiarra team that developed Mikel Arteta, Xabi Alonso and the Bournemouth manager. He joined Athletic at 17 but after his top-level debut in August 2018, he went through a torn cruciate, being released, a drop in category and a return before he could earn his place, making his comeback to live the best days of his career.
“Entering the youth system not expecting to reach the senior squad but with every stage you advance through you’re persisting and you can observe the approach. You get there but … you have to leave.” He had limited game time in half a dozen appearances between his debut and that period. “Then I was sent to the filial [Bilbao Athletic, the Under-23s]. A few matches there and I suffered the ACL injury.
“It was a huge blow but I reflect on it as something positive because it forced me to alter the perspective. Healing from a serious ailment is hard, but it helps. You cultivate routines previously lacking. Previously I was casual, but I would go to training and then go home, typical youth behavior. At Lezama, facilities are comprehensive, so take full advantage. Practice, prevention. Hit the weights. With hip imbalance, correct it. If your ankles are a 10, enhance it further. Every small aspect: perform them.
“At the top level you’re going to face physical challenges who have been in battles repeatedly. Highly robust. Seeing previous pictures: my physique was slight. Injuries are inevitable. Current photos and the improvement is clear. Injury made me see that. Sessions end, but there’s more to do. Peers are prepared, really ready; you have to be too.”
Game time is essential. The striker moved in tears in 2020, aged 23, moving to a lower level. During his Sabadell spell in that season, he got three strikes in forty appearances. At Amorebieta in the second half of 2021-22, the scoring picked up. “It’s a common path: loans, terminated contracts. If you turn it round, work, believe, and should the time come the requirement appears where you play, they might come back for you. Preparation is key. When they decided to call again, it was a dream come true. Lifting the cup, play in Europe, and make the UCL … pfff.”
Little surprise he states this is to be enjoyed. All the more so after the previous season which, sometimes, was involved suffering. From top scorer with 16 in 2023-24, last season he got seven in {15 games more|additional matches|
