‘All those silly things – do them’: The striker’s road from gurney to scoring with the Basque club
Thehe initial occasion Gorka Guruzeta competed in English soil, an young representing the youth squad against Bundesliga youth at the English ground in fall 2015, he scored. The second time he took the field in British turf, against Sunderland following that, he netted. The third time, against Pep Guardiola’s team six weeks after that, sure enough, he repeated the feat. As he revisited to the northwest to face United at Leigh’s ground in the 2017 season, he scored again. A spectacular strike, as well. “Actually,” he states, “it’s a top-class goal I’ve ever scored.” Thus the club did their duty: he was replaced.
“I became very upset,” the attacker reveals, and then he starts laughing. “There must be a video somewhere. We traveled to face United and I was pretty good. I wasn’t allowed to feature the second half: I hadn’t yet signed deal, I was scoring goals, speculation was rife, it’s typical. No confirmation on the Magpies’ pursuit, but I remember reading about Man United, standard transfer gossip. It’s unclear if it was accurate, but supposing an offer came, I would have wanted to stay at Bilbao. It’s a privilege.”
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At Lezama, Bilbao, the day’s first practice is about to start; after it, the quick travel to the airport and another flight to the UK, on this occasion to face Newcastle in the UCL on midweek. Mentioning that phrase makes Guruzeta smile. It has become a difficult season for Athletic, due in part to the pressures of their participation. Beaten in added time in the local rivalry, they have managed just one win of their past eight league games and lost against Arsenal and the German side in European competition. However, take in the big picture, the major occasions he’s experienced and upcoming events, and there’s a kind of quiet appreciation from him.
In the 36 months since he had returned to the club, the striker has been a Europa League semi-finalist, denied at the last hurdle the showpiece event by the English giants, and has boarded a decades-old barge up the Nervión estuary flanked by countless supporters after winning the Copa del Rey, the first title in 40 years. Now he is Athletic’s top scorer in the European competition, where they are unique and debuting in a decade. “I never imagined this,” he states.
Guruzeta thought it difficult enough just to earn a spot and he was right. Born to the ex-La Real star Xabi Guruzeta and a regular attendee at the opposition side, the forward is a graduate of Antiguoko, the local academy that nurtured Mikel Arteta, Xabi Alonso and the tactician. His move to Athletic came at seventeen but after his first-team bow in August 2018, he experienced a torn cruciate, the cut, a demotion and a call back before he could finally secure an opportunity, returning at 26 to enjoy the highlights of their lives.
“Entering the youth system doubting you’ll make the senior squad but every phase you go through you’re still there and you can notice the proximity. You make it and … you’re sent away.” He featured briefly in six matches in six games between his first game and February 2019. “Then I was sent to the filial [Bilbao Athletic, the Under-23s]. Several appearances with them and I suffered the ACL injury.
“It was a huge blow but I look back on it as a turning point because it forced me to alter the way I saw things. Recovering from a long-term injury is challenging, but it helps. You develop habits you didn’t have. It’s not about neglect, but I would go to training and then head home, typical youth behavior. At Lezama, all resources are available, so do everything. Work, precaution. Hit the weights. Should your hips be uneven, address that. If your ankles are a 10, enhance it further. Every small aspect: execute them.
“In the first team you’re going to crash into players who have been in battles repeatedly. Extremely powerful. I look at photos of me before: I had slender legs. Injuries are inevitable. Present-day images and the improvement is clear. The setback taught me. Practice concludes, but further effort is needed. Teammates are set, really ready; you have to be too.”
Game time is essential. The striker moved emotionally in the pandemic season, in his early twenties, dropping into the second division. With Sabadell in the 20-21 campaign, he netted three goals in forty appearances. With Amorebieta in the second half of 2021-22, the scoring picked up. “Many experience this: transfers, releases. Should you reverse it, effort, faith, and if one day a vacancy arises for your role, a return could happen. Preparation is key. Upon the recall, a fantasy realized. The trophy success, compete continentally, and reach the Champions League … pfff.”
Little surprise he states savor the moment. All the more so after the prior campaign which, on occasions, was focused on persistence. After being leading scorer with sixteen goals, his output dropped to seven in {15 games more|additional matches|
