‘Every minor detail – execute them’: The striker’s path from gurney to scoring with the Basque club

Whenhe first time Gorka Guruzeta featured in English soil, an 18-year-old appearing for the reserve team against Borussia Mönchengladbach Under-23s at the English ground in the 2015 season, he hit the target. The second time he took the field in British turf, against the Black Cats weeks after, he netted. The third time, against Manchester City not long later, sure enough, he did it once more. As he revisited to the northwest to take on Manchester United at the sports complex in the 2017 season, he found the back of the net. An excellent finish, as well. “Actually,” he says, “it ranks among my finest I’ve netted.” So Athletic did what was necessary: they took him off.

“I became very upset,” the forward admits, before breaking into laughter. “I’m sure there’s footage. We traveled to face United and I was in fine form. I wasn’t allowed to feature the latter period: I was without a signed my contract, goals were flowing, speculation was rife, as you’d expect. No confirmation on interest from Newcastle, but I remember reading about Man United, the usual talk. It’s unclear if it was accurate, but supposing an offer came, I would have wanted to stay at Bilbao. I’m fortunate to be here.”

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At the facility, Bilbao, the early training is set to begin; following that, the quick travel to the airport and another flight to the UK, now to play Newcastle in the European elite competition on midweek. Uttering the name brings a smile to his face. It’s turning out to be a tough year for the club, partially owing to the demands of competing at this level. Defeated late on in the weekend clash, they have secured just a single victory of their last eight matches and fallen to the Gunners and the German side in European competition. However, take in the big picture, the big nights he has lived and those that lie ahead, and there’s a kind of quiet appreciation about him.

In the three years since he had returned to the club, Guruzeta has been a Europa League semi-finalist, prevented from reaching a domestic final by United, and has boarded a decades-old barge through the waterway flanked by a huge crowd after lifting the trophy, the first title in a long wait. Currently he stands as the club’s leading marksman in the Champions League, where they are countercultural and debuting in a decade. “This was beyond my dreams,” he admits.

Guruzeta thought it hard enough just to break into the senior squad and his assessment was correct. As the child of the ex-La Real star his father and a regular attendee at the team he now opposes, Gorka is a product of Antiguoko, the local academy that nurtured Mikel Arteta, Xabi Alonso and Andoni Iraola. He joined Athletic at his teens but after his top-level debut in that summer, he experienced a serious knee problem, dropped, a demotion and a return before he could finally secure an opportunity, coming back aged 26 to live the best days of the club’s history.

“You go into the academy thinking you won’t reach the first team but each step you go through you’re remaining and you can notice the proximity. You make it and … departure is necessary.” He had limited game time in six games between his debut and February 2019. “Subsequently I returned to the filial [Bilbao Athletic, the Under-23s]. Five, six games there and I suffered the ACL injury.

“A massive setback but I reflect on it as a beneficial experience because it forced me to alter the way I saw things. Healing from a serious ailment is difficult, but it helps. You develop habits you didn’t have. Previously I was casual, but I would go to training and then return home, as a youngster does. At the complex, facilities are comprehensive, so utilize it all. Training, prehab. Strength training. Should your hips be uneven, correct it. Assuming ankle mobility is good, improve it more. Every small aspect: execute them.

“In the first team you’re going to crash into players who have crashed into players repeatedly. Highly robust. Seeing previous pictures: my legs are chicken legs. Thus incidents occur. Present-day images and the change is dramatic. Injury made me see that. Training finishes, but there’s more to do. Peers are prepared, really ready; the same applies.”

You also have to play. Guruzeta departed in tears in that year, at 23 years old, dropping into the second division. At Sabadell in that season, he got three strikes in numerous matches. With 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, effort, faith, and when eventually a vacancy arises in your position, a return could happen. You have to be ready. When they decided to call again, a fantasy realized. Lifting the cup, compete continentally, and reach the Champions League … pfff.”

No wonder he says this is to be enjoyed. Especially after the prior campaign which, on occasions, was about endurance. After being leading scorer with sixteen goals, last season he got seven in {15 games more|additional matches|