‘Every minor detail – execute them’: Guruzeta’s path from rehabilitation to success with Athletic
The initial occasion the Spanish forward featured in English soil, an young playing for the youth squad against Borussia Mönchengladbach Under-23s at Adams Park in fall 2015, he found the net. During his subsequent match he took the field in British turf, against the English side weeks after, he scored. Another occasion, against Pep Guardiola’s team six weeks after that, sure enough, he scored again. As he revisited to Manchester to face United at Leigh Sports Village in that year, he found the back of the net. An excellent finish, too. “Truly,” he says, “it’s one of the best goals I’ve ever scored.” So Athletic did their duty: they took him off.
“I got well angry,” the attacker says, then chuckling. “Probably there’s a recording. We traveled to face United and I was in fine form. I wasn’t allowed to feature the second half: I was without a signed deal, I was scoring goals, many stories circulated, you know how it is. I don’t know about Newcastle being interested, but I came across reports about the Red Devils, standard transfer gossip. I have no idea the validity, but even if they had called, I’d have chosen to stay at Bilbao. It’s a privilege.”
La Real relieve strain with extraordinary derby triumph
At the facility, the Basque Country, the morning session is ready to commence; following that, the quick travel to the airport and another trip to England, this time to face Newcastle in the UCL on Wednesday. Uttering the name lights him up. It has become a tough year for the team, due in part to the pressures of being here. Losing in stoppage time in the weekend clash, they have managed just one win of their recent league fixtures and been defeated by Arsenal and Dortmund in the continental stage. However, look at the overall situation, the memorable evenings and future challenges, and he feels a calm gratitude about him.
In the three years since he had returned to the club, Gorka has been a final four contender in Europe, prevented from reaching the showpiece event by United, and has traveled on a traditional boat through the waterway flanked by a million fans after lifting the trophy, the team’s initial silverware in four decades. Currently he stands as Athletic’s top scorer in the Champions League, where they are countercultural and making their first appearance in ten years. “I couldn’t have pictured this,” he says.
Guruzeta thought it difficult enough just to make the first team and his assessment was correct. As the child of the one-time rival player his father and a season ticket holder at the club that are now his rivals, Gorka is a product of Antiguoko, the local academy that produced Mikel Arteta, the former star and the Bournemouth manager. He signed for Athletic at seventeen but after making his senior debut in that summer, he went through a ACL injury, being released, a relegation and a call back before he could earn his place, making his comeback to live the best days of their lives.
“Entering the youth system doubting you’ll make the top level but each step you advance through you’re remaining and you can see it getting closer. You make it and … you’re sent away.” He played six, nine, five, one, four and 20 minutes in six games between his first game and that period. “Then I was sent to the filial [Bilbao Athletic, the Under-23s]. A few matches at that level and my knee gave way.
“A severe disappointment but In retrospect as a turning point because it forced me to alter the way I saw things. Healing from a serious ailment is hard, but it helps. You cultivate routines you didn’t have. It’s not that you don’t look after yourself, but I attended practice and then head home, typical youth behavior. At the complex, you have everything, so do everything. Practice, prevention. Get in the gym. Should your hips be uneven, work on that. If your ankles are a 10, improve it more. Every small aspect: perform them.
“Among professionals you’re going to crash into players who have experienced contact 200,000 times. Highly robust. Seeing previous pictures: I had slender legs. So what happens, happens. Present-day images and the change is dramatic. Recovery revealed that. Training finishes, but there’s more to do. Everyone else is ready, really ready; no exceptions.”
You also have to play. Guruzeta departed in tears in 2020, at 23 years old, joining the second tier. During his Sabadell spell in 2020-21, he netted three goals in forty appearances. With Amorebieta in the second half of 2021-22, the goals started to flow. “It’s a common path: temporary moves, ended deals. With a turnaround, effort, faith, and when eventually they need someone in your position, a return could happen. Preparation is key. Upon the recall, an aspiration fulfilled. To then win the Copa del Rey, play in Europe, and make the UCL … pfff.”
Little surprise he states savor the moment. Particularly after the prior campaign which, at times, was focused on persistence. From top scorer with a high tally, he managed seven in {15 games more|additional matches|
