‘All those little things – make sure you do them’: Guruzeta’s journey from rehabilitation to success with Athletic

The initial occasion Gorka Guruzeta featured in English soil, an young appearing for the youth squad against Bundesliga youth at the English ground in September 2015, he scored. The second time he took the field in British turf, against the English side two months later, he scored. The third time, against Pep Guardiola’s team soon after, sure enough, he scored again. Upon his comeback to Manchester to play against the Red Devils at Leigh’s ground in that year, he found the back of the net. A spectacular strike, as well. “Truly,” he says, “it’s a top-class goal I’ve ever scored.” Thus the club did what they had to do: he was replaced.

“I became very upset,” the forward admits, and then he starts laughing. “Probably there’s a recording. We went to play United and I performed well. I wasn’t allowed to feature the latter period: I hadn’t yet signed my contract, I kept finding the net, speculation was rife, you know how it is. I don’t know about Newcastle being interested, but I recall seeing about the Red Devils, the usual talk. I’m not certain the validity, but supposing an offer came, my desire was to remain at Bilbao. I feel lucky to be here.”

La Real relieve strain with extraordinary derby triumph

At the training ground, the Basque Country, the day’s first practice is about to start; post-session, the quick travel to Loiu and a further journey to England, this time to play Newcastle in the UCL on the upcoming match. Mentioning that phrase makes Guruzeta smile. It’s turning out to be a tough year for the club, partly because of the pressures of being here. Defeated late on 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. Yet, take in the big picture, the memorable evenings and upcoming events, and there’s a kind of quiet appreciation from him.

In the three years since he had returned to the club, Guruzeta has been a final four contender in Europe, stopped at the gates a final at home by Manchester United, and has ridden an historic vessel up the Nervión estuary surrounded by a million fans after securing the Spanish cup, the team’s initial silverware in four decades. Currently he stands as the top goal-getter in the UCL, where they are distinctive and debuting in a decade. “This was beyond my dreams,” he says.

The player believed it difficult enough just to earn a spot and he was right. As the child of the former Real Sociedad player his father and a regular attendee at the club that are now his rivals, the forward is a product of Antiguoko, the San Sebastián club that nurtured Mikel Arteta, the former star and Andoni Iraola. He joined Athletic at 17 but after his top-level debut in the 2018 season, he suffered a serious knee problem, being released, a relegation and a return before he could finally secure an opportunity, making his comeback to enjoy the highlights of the club’s history.

“You go into the academy doubting you’ll make the first team but with every stage you go through you’re persisting and you can observe the approach. You make it and … you’re sent away.” He featured briefly in six matches in a handful of matches between his bow and early 2019. “Then I was sent to the filial [Bilbao Athletic, the Under-23s]. Several appearances there and I tear my cruciate.

“A massive setback but I look back on it as a turning point because it shifted the way I saw things. The rehabilitation process is challenging, but it’s beneficial. You cultivate routines new to you. Previously I was casual, but I would go to training and then return home, typical youth behavior. At Lezama, you have everything, so utilize it all. Practice, prevention. Hit the weights. With hip imbalance, address that. Assuming ankle mobility is good, enhance it further. All those ‘silly things’: do them.

“At the top level you’re going to collide with opponents who have been in battles 200,000 times. Extremely powerful. Reviewing old images: my legs are chicken legs. So what happens, happens. Current photos and the change is dramatic. The setback taught me. Training finishes, but there’s more to do. Peers are prepared, really ready; no exceptions.”

Game time is essential. The striker moved emotionally in that year, aged 23, moving to a lower level. At Sabadell in 2020-21, he netted three goals in forty appearances. With Amorebieta in the following period, the scoring picked up. “Many experience this: transfers, releases. Should you reverse it, effort, faith, and when eventually they need someone for your role, they might come back for you. Readiness is vital. When the opportunity came, an aspiration fulfilled. To then win the Copa del Rey, European football, and make the UCL … pfff.”

No wonder he says savor the moment. Particularly after the previous season which, on occasions, was focused on persistence. After being leading scorer with sixteen goals, last season he got seven in {15 games more|additional matches|