‘Every minor detail – execute them’: Guruzeta’s road from rehabilitation to goals with the Basque club
Whenhe initial occasion the Spanish forward competed in the UK, an 18-year-old playing for the youth squad against Bundesliga youth at Wycombe’s stadium in fall 2015, he found the net. On his next visit he appeared in England, against Sunderland two months later, he scored. Another occasion, against Pep Guardiola’s team soon after, well, he scored again. When he returned to Manchester to face United at Leigh Sports Village in the 2017 season, he did it once more. It was a superb volley, as well. “In fact,” he states, “it’s one of the best goals in my career.” So Athletic did their duty: they substituted him.
“I became very upset,” the attacker reveals, then chuckling. “I’m sure there’s footage. We traveled to face United and I performed well. They didn’t let me play the final 45 minutes: my contract wasn’t finalized my contract, goals were flowing, speculation was rife, it’s typical. I don’t know about Newcastle being interested, but I recall seeing about the Red Devils, the usual talk. I have no idea how true it was, but even if they had called, my desire was to remain at Athletic. I’m fortunate to be here.”
La Real relieve strain with extraordinary derby triumph
At the facility, the city, the early training is ready to commence; following that, the brief trip to Loiu airport and a further journey to England, 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 difficult season for the team, 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 been defeated by Arsenal and Borussia Dortmund in European competition. Yet, look at the overall situation, the memorable evenings and upcoming events, and a sense of thankful reflection within him.
In the the period since he had come back to Athletic, Gorka has been a Europa League semi-finalist, stopped at the gates the showpiece event by Manchester United, and has ridden an historic vessel through the waterway flanked by a huge crowd after securing the Spanish cup, the first title in four decades. Now he is Athletic’s top scorer in the UCL, where they are distinctive and debuting in ten years. “I never imagined this,” he says.
The player believed it difficult enough just to earn a spot and his assessment was correct. Born to the ex-La Real star his father and a dedicated fan at the team he now opposes, Guruzeta is a product of Antiguoko, the local academy that nurtured the Arsenal manager, Xabi Alonso and the Bournemouth manager. He joined Athletic at seventeen but after his top-level debut in that summer, he experienced a torn cruciate, the cut, a drop in category and a recall before he could earn his place, coming back aged 26 to enjoy the highlights of his career.
“Entering the youth system not expecting to reach the senior squad but every phase you progress through you’re still there and you can observe the approach. You arrive and then … departure is necessary.” He had limited game time in a handful of matches between his first game and that period. “Subsequently I returned to the filial [Bilbao Athletic, the Under-23s]. Several appearances with them and I tear my cruciate.
“It was a huge blow but In retrospect as something positive because it forced me to alter the way I saw things. The rehabilitation process is challenging, but it aids growth. You develop habits you didn’t have. It’s not about neglect, but I attended practice and then go home, typical youth behavior. At Lezama, all resources are available, so utilize it all. Practice, prevention. Hit the weights. With hip imbalance, correct it. If your ankles are a 10, improve it more. All those ‘silly things’: execute them.
“In the first team you’re going to face physical challenges who have crashed into players countless occasions. They’re so strong. I look at photos of me before: I had slender legs. Injuries are inevitable. Current photos and the change is dramatic. Recovery revealed that. Practice concludes, but there’s more to do. Peers are prepared, really ready; you have to be too.”
Minutes are crucial. He left emotionally in that year, at 23 years old, dropping into the second division. With Sabadell in 2020-21, he netted three goals in forty appearances. At Amorebieta in the second half of 2021-22, the goals started to flow. “Players go through it: loans, terminated contracts. With a turnaround, work, believe, and when eventually a vacancy arises in your position, recall is possible. You have to be ready. When they decided to call again, a fantasy realized. Lifting the cup, compete continentally, and make the UCL … pfff.”
Little surprise he states appreciate the experience. All the more so after the prior campaign which, sometimes, was about endurance. From top scorer with 16 in 2023-24, last season he got seven in {15 games more|additional matches|
